Monday Racing: Tips, news, betting and all the latest for Chester, Southwell and Leicester

THE world of racing never sleeps. Keeping track of it all is akin to a circus juggling act.

In a new daily column, ‘The Great Game’, I’ll do the best I can to keep punters in the loop – Monday to Friday. Winners are the priority, but we’ll have races and horses to note and other useful tit bits along the way.

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In tandem with ‘The Early Bird’ and ‘The Weekend Punt’, you need go nowhere else for your racing fix.

So let’s get going and how good is it to see racing back at Chester?

Monday’s card is a good’n, too. Moved from Sunday to try and stop people taking advantage of the views, the Listed Queensferry Stakes (6.30) is the feature, with some hot handicaps added in to the mix.

Southwell goes jumping again, and there’s afternoon racing from Leicester – albeit quite an uninspiring card.

Monday’s Bets

You’ll have to be patient on Monday I’m afraid. I struggled to pin anything down at Leicester, but SPIRIT WARNING (5.30, Chester) is worth a bet on the Roodee.

Andrew Balding does well here and this horse has gone well at Chester in the past.

He ticks plenty of the necessary boxes. Draw, check. Mark, check. Conditions, check.

Heading the betting is Mick Appleby’s Lincoln Park – who has finished first and second here on two visits. But he’s far too short given his current form and especially if the rain does hold off.

Spirit Warning loves a turning track and has been given a real chance by the handicapper. He was winning off 2lbs higher this time last year and his Goodwood spin last week should have him stripped fitter.

With the jolly drawn far from ideally in seven, Balding’s four-year-old has to be chanced at 8-1.

There is pace on from stall one and seven, meaning David Probert should be able to sit in just behind in three. Things don’t always go to script, but we can chance the storyline at 8-1.

I was hoping Major Jumbo may have been a bigger price in the feature Listed heat. He’s been well found in the market though and can be watched.

Be there, or be square

There are two races I’d be keeping a close eye on on a humid Monday.

Firstly at Leicester, STUNNING BEAUTY (4.30 Leicester) is far, far from a betting proposition but should cement herself as a filly to keep a close tabs on.

Saeed bin Suroor has Group 1 plans for his debut winner, and judged on her run at Newmarket you cannot blame him.

Later on, at Chester, the British Stallion Studs EBF Conditions Stakes (6.00) is one to have the binoculars out for.

Debut winners Mystery Smiles and Regional, the latter who stuffed recent Sandown winner Politics on debut, both take on impressive Goodwood winner Zamaani. Group races await a few of these, you would think.