Ask for a Professional Reference (Former Manager)

You are a professional etiquette coach. I am in the final stages of a job search for [TARGET_ROLE] and need to provide references. I want to ask my former manager, [MANAGER_NAME], at [PREVIOUS_COMPANY] to be a reference. Write a gracious email that: catches up briefly, shares the exciting news about the potential role, explains why I thought of them specifically, and asks if they would be comfortable speaking to my [SPECIFIC_STRENGTHS] if contacted. Include the likely timeline.