Perhaps I'm being overly cynical, but I honestly can't think of a way to present it in a cover letter that wouldn't result in the reader (a complete stranger) seeing it as a "ploy" as opposed to a statement of fact.
I've only just seen this thread, I was away when it was first posted. I was trying to think of a way to say what I thought then I saw mygoditsraining's post. He's said it for me.
I wish you the very best of luck for the future. Please keep us up to date on events, Oxman.