ITV Racing Tips for Cheltenham and Doncaster on Friday 24th October

The road to the 2026 Cheltenham Festival is underway, and this Friday sees a first visit of the season to the home of jumps racing, and the ITV Racing cameras will be on hand to capture the best of the action with five races live from Prestbury Park.

For Cheltenham Festival enthusiasts, there could be a few early Festival clues to be gleaned over the two-day fixture, which extends into Saturday and the Friday feature race – the Sharp Novices’ Hurdle – could well throw up a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle contender.

Adding to Friday’s five jumps races from Cheltenha,m there are also three races from Doncaster as Town Moor hosts the first of two days’ racing for their Futurity Trophy meeting, and Ed Chamberlain and the team will be on hand to cover all the Friday live TV racing action on ITV Racing.

FRIDAY 24th OCTOBER ITV RACING TIPS

1:15 Cheltenham – NAVAJO INDY (6/1)

1:33 Doncaster – EYE OF DUBAI (11/2)

1:50 Cheltenham – KING OF KINGSFIELD (11/4)

2:08 Doncaster – INFRAAD (9/4)

2:25 Cheltenham – CAVERN CLUB (9/1)

3:00 Cheltenham – FORTUNE DE MER (3/1)

3:18 Doncaster –

3:35 Cheltenham – MATATA (9/2)

Cheltenham and Doncaster Preview and Betting Tips

1:15 Cheltenham – William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Hurdle Cl3 (3yo+ 0-140) 2m4f

NAVAJO INDY (6/1) has won first time up in each of his last two seasons, and with this step up in trip likely to suit last year’s Gerry Feilden Hurdle winner, he gets the vote to make another winning return.

Tom Symonds’ charge has shown progressive form over hurdles, winning twice in the 2023/24 season and improving last term with two more wins, including the Gerry Feilden, where he beat Queens Gamble by just over two lengths.

Although beaten in his next two starts at the beginning of 2025, he looked on both occasions as if he’d benefit from a stiffer test, but he did run very well on both occasions, including when last seen finishing third in first-time cheekpieces in the William Hill Hurdle behind Joyeuse.

He’s only 1lb higher here and the headgear is left off for this run; while ground conditions won’t present an issue and he may well improve for this more demanding test of stamina and stiff track as he takes a drop back in grade on his return to action.

1:33 Doncaster – William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Cl2 (3yo+ 0-105) 6f

EYE OF DUBAI (11/2) has steadily worked his way back to form and with the Havana Grey gelding having already proven he can handle testing ground it might be worth chancing John Quinn’s charge to follow up his recent return to winning ways.

Successful over C&D twelve months ago in soft ground, he has largely struggled this term although his last couple of outings have been much more like it, finishing third to Candy in the Ayr Silver Cup off this mark and most recently getting his head back in front at Ripon in the valuable City Of The Dales Handicap.

He had Aleezdancer a neck in arrears that day, travelling well through the race and winning a shade cosily with reopposing Sophia’s Starlight back in fifth. The pair meet on the same terms and the Quinn runner can uphold that form if continuing his current purple patch.

1:50 Cheltenham – Holland Cooper ‘Chasing Excellence’ Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) Cl2 (4yo+) 2m

KING OF KINGSFIELD (11/4) sets the standard on ratings and Gordon Elliott’s charge can take this prize back to Ireland.

The Vadamos gelding has won three of his four chase starts this term, most recently handing out a three lengths’ defeat of Birdie Or Bust at Punchestown nine days ago in Grade Three company.

That win did come over a trip longer than today’s, but he shouldn’t be found wanting for stamina up Cheltenham’s punishing hill and he’ll have no issue with the underfoot conditions provided the ground doesn’t get too soft.

He has some decent hurdles form to call upon, including a good fifth here in last season’s Champion Hurdle, and he has looked progressive as a chaser so with the potential for further improvement, he gets the vote to take this prize in what looks a trappy race.

2:08 Doncaster – British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes (GBB/GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (2yo) 1m

Those with previous experience haven’t set a particularly high bar so newcomer INFRAAD (9/4) gets the vote to make a winning debut for William Haggas.

The Ghaiyyath colt represents a trainer in good form at present and he is a well-related sort to several winners. His top yard has done well this season with newcomers and he can make his mark on his racecourse debut in a fairly ordinary contest unless of his fellow debut rivals proves above average.

2:25 Cheltenham – Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle Cl3 (3yo+ 0-140) 2m½f

CAVERN CLUB (9/1) is 2-3 this year over hurdles and James Owen’s charge could have more to offer on the back of a good fourth to Saligo Bay at Market Rasen when last seen.

James Owen’s charge struck at Doncaster in the spring before a spell on the flat where he won at Chester in June, after which he went to Market Rasen and beat Kihavah in the Summer Handicap Hurdle.

There wasn’t much wrong with either start since that victory, finishing third back on the level at Chester and most recently his close run back at Market Rasen where he lacked the pace to challenge having perhaps just been given too much to do.

The Ribchester gelding has run well here before, and he’s only 1lb higher in the weights than last time. This is a slightly easier contest than he took in previously, and with a top conditional up, he ought to give a good account of himself here.

3:00 Cheltenham – Oddschecker Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Sharp Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) Cl1 (4yo+) 2m½f

FORTUNE DE MER (3/1) has a decent record here already, finishing runner-up in a bumper at this meeting twelve months ago before going one better the following month. Dan Skelton’s charge might not have been suited by the sharp layout at Huntingdon on the back of a break and he wasn’t able to land a blow in the Champion Bumper on his final start of the campaign.

The Doyen gelding travelled well for a long way on his recent hurdles debut at Uttoxeter before the lack of a run possibly told late, eventually finishing five lengths’ third to Top Jimmy. However, he ought to improve for that experience and with a run under his belt, he is capable of better.

With a hood also applied it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see the Skelton runner step up considerably on that seasonal debut and back at this venue which seems to suit he can post a big run.

3:18 Doncaster – William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Cl2 (3yo+ 0-105) 7f

ROGUE DIPLOMAT (4/1) hit the line strongly when bringing up his hat-trick here last month and James Owen’s charge could prove tough to beat in pursuit of his four-timer.

The Calyx colt has suddenly hit a rich vein of form following a couple of lacklustre efforts earlier in the season, reeling off victories at Newmarket and Southwell in August before landing his hat-trick latest when beating Morte Point by three parts of a length, although giving the impression that he did the job a shade cosily.

He had a couple of these rivals behind him that day and the form of that win is working out with the runner-up since going one better and the third going close in a valuable handicap at Goodwood a couple of weeks ago.

The handicapper has only pushed him up 3lbs for that latest success and with most of his rivals arriving here on the back of lesser runs he could prove to be the one to side with.

3:35 Cheltenham – squareintheair.com Handicap Chase (GBB Race) Cl2 (4yo+) 2m

MATATA (9/2) has to concede plenty of weight to this field, but Nigel Twiston-Davies’ charge can go close despite the hefty concessions he has to give away.

The Vadamos gelding found only reopposing Calico too good in this event twelve months ago, but the seven-year old comprehensively reversed that form next time. He continued to run well throughout the season, adding to his tally at Windsor and then stepping into Graded company for his final two starts.

He wasn’t beaten far by Master Chewy in the Game Spirit Chase and rounded off his season finishing a distant third of four runners behind Jonbon at Aintree. He didn’t aid his cause there by making a very bad mistake mid-race which pretty much ruled him out, and back in handicap company, he ought to find this assignment a bit less taxing.

Whether he’s quite good enough to concede upwards of 11lbs to this field is debatable on his reappearance as he could need his first run. But he did run well on the back of a similar absence twelve months ago, and his yard can ready one, so a big performance wouldn’t come as a huge shock.