ITV Racing Tips: NINE warm, live contests from HQ and Donny

Terrific National Hunt racing is beamed to us all terrestrially courtesy of the ITV cameras on Saturday. FIVE live from Cheltenham, including the International (Constitution Hill); and four from Donny (with notably the Great Yorkshire Chase, which has produced Gold Cup and Grand National heroes like Bregawn and Nicholas Silver).

Here then are our ITV Racing tips for January 25. If you're playing have fun, and above all else, enjoy. Action kicks in at 13:15.

Horse Racing Odds

Full ITV Schedule;

13:15 Cheltenham: JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m 1f

13:30 Doncaster: Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap Chase 2m 1/2f

13:50 Cheltenham: Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase 2m 4½f

14:05 Doncaster: Pertemps Network River Don Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 3m ½f

14:25 Cheltenham: Betfair Cotswold Chase (Grade 2) 3m 1½f

14:40 Doncaster: Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 3m ½f

15:00 Cheltenham: Unibet Hurdle (Registered As The International Hurdle) (Grade 2) 2m 1f

15:15 Doncaster: Virgin Bet Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 3m

15:35 Cheltenham: Betfair Cleeve Hurdle (Grade 2) 3m

Rationale;

13:15 Cheltenham - East India Dock @ 4/6

Very promising four-year-old juvenile hurdlers clash, but there is a standout favourite - can he oblige?

East India Dock holds a Triumph Hurdle entry and is a single-figure price for the big one in March ahead of this. Nice horse on the flat for James Fanshawe (four-year-old Golden Horn gelding, rated 90 when last seen on the level), and joined James Owen in October.

Two Newmarket trainers, so limited upheaval in terms of travel, which is a bonus.

Two spins over timber for James have ensued - with comprehensive, taking, progressive victories at Wincanton and here at jumping HQ. The last, like this, was a Grade 2 affair, and his form would be compelling enough without noting that he's already a course winner here, albeit over about half a furlong shorter.

Evergreen top-drawer jock Sam Twiston-Davies has been on board for both wins so far and of course retains the partnership.

Paul Nicholls opposes with a French-bred yet to run in this country, Sauvignon, but this gloriously-bred individual (out of a Galileo mare, too) must be followed in my book until defeated.

13:30 Doncaster - Stormin Crossgales @ 5/1

For me this is a very tricky affair; one of several today in all candour! Ultra-competitive, and should be a thriller.

My selection is a lightly-weighted improver that appears to have been rejuvenated of late by the Pogsons. The eight-year-old gelding won here on his penultimate start in mid-December off 116, jumping particularly well, and then went in at Southwell by a mile over slightly further 24 days ago.

This is a big step up, off 126 now, but 10st 5lb is a lovely racing weight, he gets further than this two miles and change, and might be about to claim one or two tasty scalps. Stormin Crossgales got the brilliant James Bowen last time, but Richard Patrick is an admirable alternative as he knows the horse well.

13:50 Cheltenham - Ginny's Destiny @ 5/2

Another trappy old heat, but an absolute cracker.

I've sided with Ginny's Destiny for Paul Nicholls and stable jock Harry Cobden. A nine-year-old gelding by Yeats, a course-and-distance scorer, and after two ordinary runs since reappearing for the season in mid-November could be ready to produce his best in pursuit of a handsome £56k first prize.

He races off 152 today, won off 147 a year ago (here at HQ), and was a good second off 155 to Grey Dawning in the Turners at the Festival. As we speak he's an outsider among the Ryanair entries but a good display here could always shake that market up a little.

14:05 Doncaster - Jig's Force @ 11/2

The mighty Ben Pauling continues on his meteoric upward curve courtesy of promising types like this six-year-old Westerner gelding, out of a Moscow Society mare.

Jig's Force had three point runs in Ireland for Ross O'Sullivan (the great Derek O'Connor no less was on board every time, winning the last one). He then joined Ben in November and on stable debut 66 days ago hosed up nicely in maiden company at Ffos Las under today's jockey Ben Jones.

It's a measure of the esteem in which the horse is evidently held that his next assignment is a warm Grade 2 on Saturday for the small matter of £42k. He's in the Turners and the Albert Bartlett, to further emphasise stable confidence, and can hopefully oblige at a nice price for us.

The three mile+ trip should be no issue whatsoever given that Westerner parentage, and his PTP experience. Lovely race to savour.

14:25 Cheltenham - Gentlemansgame @ 11/4

Veteran Irish trainer Mouse Morris brings this classy nine-year-old gelding over for what will on paper be a somewhat easier task than those he's faced most recently.

Gentlemansgame took the G2 Charlie Hall at Wetherby in 2023 under today's pilot Darragh O'Keefe. That was his last success, but in four G1 assignments since he's bumped into Galopin Des Champs twice and has in the main performed with credit in trying circumstances.

This is surely more his level and though his solitary trip to Prestbury Park for last term's Gold Cup wasn't an auspicious one (pulled-up), this small field should pose fewer problems and offer an opportunity to snatch another win for the prolific Robcour ownership colours. They have horses all over Ireland and especially with Henry De Bromhead and Gordon Elliott. Fascinating.

14:40 Doncaster - Kateira @ 6/4

Not many big Saturday meetings at Chelters don't feature the Skeltons, but this contest can provide rich compensation.

Kateira is a high-quality eight-year-old mare by Kayf Tara, is very consistent, and ran a cracker in G1 company last time at Ascot 35 days ago, finishing 3.75l fifth to Crambo in the Long Walk.

G2 company today, and the race conditions favour her and Jessie Harrington's Jetara, who has the brilliant James Bowen up top and is feared. Wyenot was superb here the last day for Henry Daly and Alice Stephens but steps up markedly in class and though Harry might not be aeroplaning as he crosses the line I am still more than hopeful that he'll reach it first.

Team Skelts can usually be filed under 'force of nature' in our sport and this is my nap of the day.

15:00 Cheltenham - Constitution Hill @ 1/10

Nicky's beyond-brilliant champion is in the conversation (upper echelons of same) concerning the greatest hurdler ever to have worn a saddle. If he's fit, the others had better start now. No price, obviously, but watch, savour, marvel, and hope all's well then for March.

Horses like this come along very, very rarely. Constitution Hill is a monster, in the very best and most respectful sense of the word. Pace, power, finishing kick, stamina - he's got the lot. Lovely win at Kempton over Christmas, after being off the track for 12 months.

Unbeaten over hurdles in nine races (eight at G1), and as long as he's healthy that's a situation likely to continue for some time to come.

15:15 Doncaster - Snipe each-way @ 8/1

Donny's big one, the Great Yorkshire, and another Skelton Enterprises Plc inmate whose turn looks to be nicely at hand.

Snipe reappeared for the season in October, finishing second at Carlisle, and the following month ran similarly well, same track, proving the eight-year-old's well-being and stamina reserves.

There's more than a touch of class present, too (he's by Irish Derby winner Soldier Of Fortune out of a Halling dam), and looks nicely primed running off 128, carrying the decent racing weight of 10st 13lb.

We're paying five places each-way, and that seems an eminently sensible way of playing this one. Terrific renewal, and graduation day perhaps for a horse with links to one of my personal all-time favourites, the dual Eclipse and Juddmonte International scorer Halling, who I saw scoot home imperiously under Frankie on the Knavesmire around the time the Spice Girls were announcing themselves to an unsuspecting world.

Wonderful memories. Say You'll Be There? I was, and it was very special.

15:35 Cheltenham - Strong Leader @ 11/4

Chance now for a retrieval mission for this one, after an uncharacteristic no-show performance-wise at Ascot just before Christmas, when favourite.

Strong Leader is better judged on a fine G2 win at Newbury at this trip in late-November, following-on from a landmark G1 score in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree in the spring.

The eight-year-old is with Olly Murphy in Warwickshire, and the outstanding Sean Bowen is again in the plate. He's an outsider for the Stayers' at the Festival and as long as he's over whatever went wrong in Berkshire we could be in for an absolute treat here in South Yorkshire.

Sean's got a strong book of rides and is for me the weighing room powerhouse right now.

ITV Racing tips from Betfred Insights.