ITV Racing Tips – Tips For All Eight ITV races from Cheltenham + Doncaster

Another fantastic day of racing awaits on Saturday, with plenty of Graded action across the cards at Cheltenham and Doncaster. ITV are showing eight of the key races across both cards on Saturday 28th January, and our racing editor Tom Aldridge has picked out a tip for each of the Saturday ITV races!

Below, we talk you through our selections for all eight ITV races on Saturday afternoon, including our tip for the rescheduled Grade 1 Clarence House Chase. Check out who he’s siding with each race, including a couple at double-figure odds on the Cheltenham card.

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Odds Correct at time of posting – 1.55pm Friday 27th January

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Energumene (1.20 Cheltenham) – Daily Double (Leg 1)

ENERGUMENE just missed out in this race last year, but it took a fantastic performance from Shishkin to beat him that day and he made amends at Cheltenham in March in the Champion Chase. He should take the world of beating this year and will go off a short price to do so. 

There are more runners in this now, and although Edwardstone is a good horse he, he really shouldn’t be able to get the better of Energumene here. The race last year has less runners but it was always going to be a two-horse race between Shishkin and Energumene, and it will be a similar case this year with the latter and Edwardstone. 

Energumene has gone from strength to strength since that defeat at Ascot last year, and he cruised to victory on his seasonal reappearance at Cork. Edwardstone has looked a class act over fences but unseated last time out in the Desert Orchid Chase. He’s definitely the best of the rest but this should be all about Energumene!

Silver Hallmark (1.50 Cheltenham) – E/W Lucky 15

A bit of a speculative punt but I fancy SILVER HALLMARK to reverse form with Fugitif and expect him to go well here. He may have only won once over fences but he’s only finished out of the top three twice and at the odds I think he’s well worth an E/W bet. 

The lighty-raced 9YO was soundly beaten on his seasonal reappearance over hurdles but looked much more assured over fences last month. The slight step up in trip should be in his favour and he’s now 11lb better off with Fugitif, who won that day. That should be enough to see the form reversed in my opinion. 

Phoenix Way could be a danger having done best of those held up in that Chepstow race, but Fergal O’Brien has his yard in fine form and I’m confident Silver Hallmark can outrun his odds here. 

Epatante (2.05 Doncaster) – Top Treble (Leg 1)

This should be fairly straightforward for EPATANTE, who is in a different class to these. She’s been racing solely in Grade 1 company for the past three years and hasn’t looked out of place in any of them, so she should be far too good for these and will likely win this without needing to hit top gear. 

She’s been soundly beaten in her two races this season, but we can forgive her for that considering the horse that beat her both times was Constitution Hill! She’ll just be taking on the girls this time and she should be more than capable of making short work of this.

Martello Sky appears to be the biggest danger on paper, but she has been soundly beaten in her last two and will surely find Epatante too good here. Nicky Henderson’s mare is a short price but I’d be amazed if she didn’t win this, and expect her to win by a fair distance.

Protektorat (2.25 Cheltenham) – Daily Double (Leg 2)

This race has been geared up as a battle between Gold Cup prospects PROTEKTORAT and Noble Yeats, and it’s the former that gets my vote. He was hugely impressive when cruising to victory in the Betfair Chase on seasonal reappearance and should be ever better with that run under his belt. 

He had Frodon over 18 lengths behind that day and his jumping was top notch throughout – it was hard not to be impressed by him. His third in the Gold Cup was a solid performance and he has by far the best form on offer in this. 

Noble Yeats did look impressive at Aintree but that course has a habit of making performances look better than they really are. He’s a class horse but I don’t think he’s at the same level as Protektorat, plus he disappointed on his previous visit here when ninth in the Ultima last year. I think Dan Skelton’s runner will win this and make a bold bid in the Gold Cup in March.

Very impressive! Idalko Bihoue with a taking debut under rules at @WorcesterRaces for @samtwiston and @NigelTwistonDav… pic.twitter.com/52czuBzVxt

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 27, 2022

Idalko Bihoue (2.40 Doncaster) – E/W Lucky 15

Stay Away Fay was impressive when winning at Newbury on debut and the form of that race has been working out nicely. However, Harry Cobden is at Cheltenham on Saturday so Lorcan Murtagh takes over the ride, and it’s safe to say he isn’t up to the standard of Mr Cobden just yet. With that in mind, I’m willing to take him on with IDALKO BIHOUE. 

He cruised to victory on debut at Warwick, winning eased down but still 14 lengths ahead of the runner-up Hardy Fella. He stepped straight into Grade 1 company next time out in the Challow Novices’ Hurdle and didn’t disgrace himself, finishing third behind Hermes Allen and She Wears It Well. 

The drop back into Grade 2 company should help and he looks a solid enough option here. He’s only 5 so is the youngest in the line up, but that shouldn’t put you off. The last 5YO to go in this race was Nadaitak, who ran out a 22 length winner in 2019. Stay Away Fay will be the biggest danger but I think Idalko Bihoue can hopefully land this, before a possible tilt at the Albert Bartlett in March.

Paisley Park (3.00 Cheltenham) – NAP

I cannot Believe PAISLEY PARK is available at 5/4 (at time of writing at least), and I won’t be surprised to see him go off much shorter on the day. He’s won the past three renewals of this and they were much stronger than the line up this year, so he should take all the beating yet again. 

Emma Lavelle’s star stayer put in a huge performance on his seasonal return at Newbury, and was unfortunate not to win that day. He put it right next time out, flying down the straight to win the Long Walk Hurdle on Boxing day. 

Dashel Drasher looks to have the best chance of chasing him home, but that will likely be the best he can do. Paisley Park is one of my favourite horses in training and I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t win this cosily. I’m fully expecting him to land the Stayers’ Hurdle in March and he will be much shorter than the current 10/1 if he wins this, so get on it now!

Ga Law (3.15 Doncaster) – Top Treble (Leg 3)

The last two renewals of this have been won by 40/1 shots, with last year’s winner Windsor Avenue lining up again this year. However, I’m finding it hard to get away from GA LAW here, who has by far the best form on offer here. 

Having won four of his seven races over fences, Ga Law unsurprisingly runs off top weight here, but the form of his two races this year have worked out well. His third in the Old Roan was a solid performance, finishing just over a length behind Hitman, who bolted up next time out. He then stayed on strongly to win the Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in November, with the runner-up (French Dynamite) placing in Grade 2 company next time out and the third (Midnight River) winning a similar race next time out. 

This is a marked step up in class for Tea For Free and a lot of these arrive here out of form. The biggest dangers to the selection could come from Demachine and last year’s winner Windsor Avenue, but I can’t see either beating Ga Law here and I’m hoping he can buck the trend of the big-odds winners of this race.

Aintree bumper seventh Cruz Control makes a flawless hurdling debut at @NewcastleRaces, winning for @StanSheppard9 and Tom Lacey… pic.twitter.com/64Gr18O5z9

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 26, 2022

Cruz Control (3.35 Cheltenham) – E/W Lucky 15

This is a difficult race to call, with the majority of these only having run a couple of times over hurdles. The one that has caught my eye is CRUZ CONTROL, who was impressive when winning on debut at Newcastle and looks more than capable of winning this. 

His jumping looked good that day, aside from a slightly poor jump three out, and the way he powered clear in the final stages was so good to watch. It’s hard to read too much into the form of that race at the moment but he was eased down in the final strides so he could’ve won by even further had he been pushed out to the line. Favourites don’t have a great recent record in this race (no winning favourite in the last 4 renewals) so I’m happy to take on Pembroke here.  

Stan Sheppard has had four rides in the past two weeks, winning two and finishing runner-up in the other two, so he’s clearly in good form and he clearly gets on well with this horse. He looks far too big a price here so is well worth backing E/W.