Mountain Range has slipped back down to a dangerous mark and is strongly fancied at 11/4 to take advantage and land the 4.30 at Kempton today.
The gelding was a useful handicapper when trained by John Dunlop, with his last win coming in a class 4 1m 2f handicap at this track off a mark of 82.
His form then tailed off, and that continued to be the case after he joined Willie Musson.
However his handicap continued to fall as a result, and after hinting that he could be ready to take adavantage when third at Sandown he duly got back to winning ways when landing a gamble over course and distance last June off a mark of 64.
He won with far more in hand than the 1 1/4 length margin suggests that day, and the handicapper reacted by putting him up 6lb to 70.
Since then he has failed to trouble the judge in four starts, but the assessor has been quick to relent and he now gets into this off just 1lb higher than when last successful (65) having caught they eye last time out.
That run came over 1m 2f at this track, where after being held-up well off the pace he got outpaced three out before not getting a clear run a furlong from home.
He then kept on under tender handling to be beaten 3 3/4 lengths into 9th of 13 behind Swehan, and it was a run which suggested that he would soon be back into the winners’ enclosure.
The six-year-old now gets into this off 1lb lower, and is also back over the 1m 3f trip which saw him register his last success.
That makes him look weighted to take all the beating and it will be disappoiting if he doesn’t take what looks to be a golden opportunity for him to get back to winning ways.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 4pts win Mountain Range (11/4 Stan James – BOG)