Monday brings a full card on Sky Sports Racing with live coverage from Southwell, Windsor and Wolverhampton. Here’s a look at the key races and the runners to note.
6.17pm Windsor — Sprint Series Qualifier (0-90)
The feature at Windsor is a competitive Sprint Series Qualifier, with the winner taking home £10,468. Desert Cop is the top-rated entry for George Baker. He hasn’t won since landing a local Grade One in Bahrain last March and has been campaigned extensively overseas; his return to Britain at Nottingham was disappointing, so he needs to find better form to justify favouritism.
Zoulu Chief is an experienced campaigner with four wins from 23 starts. He drops in grade after a poor run at Leicester and has form ties with Completely Random from Lingfield, suggesting he could bounce back. Badri has slipped to his lowest rating since August 2022 and has been inconsistent, but further easing in the weights makes him an appealing each-way option and he could surprise.
5.17pm Southwell — Louis Veron looks interesting for Skelton
Louis Veron is an intriguing contender for champion trainer Dan Skelton and owner Bryan Drew. The gelding made a promising start for his new connections when finishing second on debut; his work at home was reported very positively and the form of that race has been strengthened since, making him one to watch while still lightly raced.
Opponents such as King’s Scholar, Sense Of Reason and White Riot bring experience and could test the Skelton runner, while Fervent — trained by Warren Greatrex — is yet to make a mark over jumps but could run well on his day.
9.00pm Wolverhampton — Lady Milton bids for four in a row
Lady Milton seeks a fourth consecutive success in the Fillies’ Handicap for Jonathan Portman. After three winless starts she broke her duck in a handicap at Kempton off a mark of 56, followed by another success on Halloween. After a winter break she resumed at Lingfield and stretched out to a mile and a quarter with another comfortable victory. The handicapper has added six pounds for that latest success, but she remains lightly raced and clearly progressive.
Eastern Veil is another lightly raced filly who won at Wolverhampton in October and could have more to offer; Oisin Murphy takes the ride. Other proven winners in the line-up include Searchingtheblues, Squiffy, Kilkenny Warrior and Silky Lass, any of whom could make this competitive.
Best of the rest
– 2.42pm Southwell: Huckleberry Sting attempts to defy a 10lb rise.
– 5.42pm Windsor: Fighter’s Spirit looks to land a second win for Godolphin.
– 7.00pm Wolverhampton: Previous winners Tuba and V Power meet again.
– 7.47pm Windsor: Wild Thoughts chases a fourth straight success while Midnight Rodeo bids for a hat-trick.
Summary
Windsor’s Sprint Series Qualifier promises a lively heat with Desert Cop, Zoulu Chief and Badri all holding chances for different reasons. At Southwell Louis Veron is a lightly raced prospect for Dan Skelton who could be one to follow, and Wolverhampton’s finale looks set up for progressive Lady Milton to continue her winning run, though several rivals will make life difficult. Tune in to Sky Sports Racing for live coverage and updates throughout the evening.