We have a busy day’s racing on Monday with action from Southwell, Windsor and Wolverhampton, live on Sky Sports Racing…
6.17 Windsor – Desert Cop, Zoulu Chief and Badri clash in feature
Monday nights at Windsor return and the feature is a lovely (0-90) Sprint Series Qualifier with the winner taking home £10,468.
Desert Cop is top-rated here for George Baker but is without a win since March last year where he took out a local Grade One in Bahrain, and has since been highly campaigned there. His return to British soil this year was at Nottingham where he was well down the field, and more is needed.
Zoulu Chief is another highly tried runner and has a record of four wins from 23 starts. He drops in grade today, after a disappointing display at Leicester, but he had form ties with Completely Random at Lingfield and could shape better than that last effort.
Badri has dropped to his lowest mark since August 2022 and is becoming a difficult horse to back, however, given another tumble in the weights he is becoming attractively handicapped, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was to pop up here.
5.17 Southwell – Intriguing Louis Veron returns for the Skeltons
Louis Veron is an intriguing runner for champion trainer Dan Skelton as he heads to the track for only his second start in the colours of Coral Gold Cup-winning owner Bryan Drew.
Prior to his debut second, Skelton revealed the gelding had been working very well at home and the form of that race has since been boosted, making him a fascinating contender this afternoon.
Given the strength of the form, his top connections and the fact he remains lightly raced, Louis Veron looks a horse with a bright future and could be one to follow.
King’s Scholar, Sense Of Reason and White Riot all have some experience under the belt and could make life uncomfortable for the Skelton runner, while Fervent is yet to make his presence felt in the National Hunt sphere and could go well for the Warren Greatrex yard.
9.00 Wolverhampton – Red-hot Lady Milton bids for four-timer
Lady Milton will look to bring our action to a close with another victory for Jonathan Portman as she bids for a fourth straight win in the Free Race Replays On attheraces.com Fillies’ Handicap.
After being winless in three starts, she entered a handicap for the first time at Kempton in early October and duly obliged off a mark of 56. She then followed that up on Halloween with another impressive success before her handler gave her the winter off. She made her seasonal reappearance at Lingfield earlier this month and continued that winning thread, seeing out the new trip of a mile and a quarter impressively.
The handicapper has raised her another six-pounds for that victory but she remains lightly raced and is clearly progressive so it may not be enough to stop her.
Eastern Veil is also lightly raced having run only three times, winning once at Wolverhampton in October, and she could have more to come after her reappearance effort. Oisin Murphy keeps the ride.
Searchingtheblues, Squiffy, Kilkenny Warrior and Silky Lass have all proven they know how to win and could make this interesting.
Best of the rest
2.42 Southwell – Huckleberry Sting bids to defy 10-pound rise.
5.42 Windsor – Fighter’s Spirit looks for second win for Godolphin.
7.0-0 Wolverhampton – Previous winners Tuba and V Power lock horns.
7.47 Windsor – Wild Thoughts seeks four-timer and Midnight Rodeo chases the hat-trick.
