ITV Racing Tips: The Flat roars back with the Lincoln at Donny

We waited patiently for Cheltenham, and as always it didn't let us down. Now it's Aintree that's firmly on the horizon, and seven days hence we'll already have had two fantastic days of Liverpool's iconic equine Festival, and be awaiting the big one itself at 16:00 on Saturday afternoon - the Randox Grand National.

But first, as all the top telly shows exclaim, we've got EIGHT live races courtesy of the ITV cameras on Saturday, March 29. The Flat season emerges in earnest with the fabled Lincoln Handicap from Donny, beautifully supported by the flying juveniles (Brocklesby Stakes), two Listed heats and the Spring Mile. Meanwhile there's further tip-top action on the level from Kempton, including the Rosebery, a Listed heat and the Queens Prize for the stayers. It all kicks in at 13:15 - enjoy!

Horse Racing Odds

Full ITV schedule;

13:15 Doncaster - EBF BROCKLESBY STAKES 5F
13:50 Doncaster - SPRING MILE HANDICAP 1M
14:25 Doncaster - CAMMIDGE TROPHY (LISTED) 6F
15:00 Doncaster - DONCASTER MILE STAKES (LISTED) 1M
15:35 Doncaster - LINCOLN (HERITAGE HANDICAP) 1M

14:05 Kempton - QUEENS PRIZE HANDICAP 2M
14:40 Kempton - ROSEBERY H’CAP STAKES 1M 3F
15:15 Kempton - SNOWDROP FILLIES STAKES (LISTED) 1M

Rationale;

13:15 Doncaster - Norman's Cay @ 9/4

Traditional opening day test for two-year-old flyers, over 5f - the Brocklesby.

The ground is advertised as good-to-soft as I write, and that would be an ideal surface upon which to compose the first few paragraphs of the 2025 Flat racing season.

Should be a fair test for all, and as none of these babies has seen a racecourse competitively before we don't want any extremes of going to further muddy the waters. My selection Norman's Cay is a colt by Sioux Nation, himself a very speedy type at two including a Royal Ascot success.

He's trained in Wiltshire by Richard Hannon (27% strike-rate in the last 14 days), and carries the Amo Racing silks. Their retained pilot David Egan has the riding assignment.

No form to rely upon then but already we can see that this is certainly one of the more likely scorers. He's entered up in many of the juvenile heats for horses bought at certain specified sales as the season progresses (Super Sprint at Newbury, one here in September, and a couple at HQ).

Connections took this in 2022 (Persian Force; with Rossa Ryan on top on that occasion), and it's a path of least resistance job in tipping up Norman's Cay for this. By far one of the more likely to prevail, but there are of course many imponderables!

Nicely drawn mid-div in eight, so should have options as to where he wants to sit.

13:50 Doncaster - Pressure's On each-way @ 8/1

We're paying FIVE places each-way so that's a good place to start as we hope to solve a likely 22-runner puzzle.

Rossa Ryan rides this four-year-old Land Force gelding for trainer Ed Dunlop - a formidable partnership when uniting. Pressure's On had a pipe-opener at Wolves three weeks ago and was a good second over a furlong less, doing well in the later fractions after travelling in rear early doors.

Won off 76 at HQ last backend, under Ryan, and could easily be an improver. Races off 80 this afternoon and for me has an excellent e/w shout in a fiendishly tricky heat.

14:05 Kempton - Who's Glen @ 9/2

Two-miles on the Polytrack is the trip, with nine scheduled to face the starter.

Who's Glen is with Andrew Balding at Kingsclere in Hampshire, one of half-a-dozen the stable are taking to Sunbury-on-Thames on Saturday. The yard are having winners too, and seem keen to hit the ground running as the flat season stretches its legs.

The selection runs in the legendary silks of George Strawbridge - evoking memories for me at least of the great Selkirk, a superb champion miler, trained by Andrew's father Ian.

This fella, a son incidentally of miler Gleneagles, must stretch out a good deal further this afternoon but got 1m 6f extremely well at York last autumn and has some all-weather experience gained at Southwell, Wolves and Newcastle.

A very nice individual going the right way, and having Oisin Murphy doing the steering is no hardship whatsoever.

14:25 Doncaster - James's Delight @ 11/4

Listed sprint test now, over 6f, for the Cammidge Trophy.

James's Delight is among the higher-rated of these (110), and reappears after a break of some 161 days. Clive Cox, a masterful trainer, looks after this one in Lambourn for the Rooneys, and Rossa Ryan is on board.

The four-year-old Invincible Army gelding ran well in a Group 1 on Champions Day in October last, finishing 4.5l off the winner, having taken a nice York handicap in June followed by two excellent efforts at Deauville (won a Listed heat, then came second in a Group 3).

He should be right at home in this, handles a bit of cut, and with five career wins from just 12 starts could be about to take slightly higher rank among our better sprinters this term.

14:40 Kempton - Lieber Power each-way @ 10/1

Another Balding-trained hope, one of three for the yard in this, and ridden by Callum Hutchinson.

Lieber Power has won on the track and will stay this 11f trip readily, having gone very close at York over 12f off 89 at the big August meeting (he runs off 92 this afternoon).

The five-year-old Cracksman gelding appeals as an each-way play (we're going four places), with a maximum field of 14 expected to start.

He's three from 13 all-time, pretty lightly-campaigned then, and in a wide-open affair for very small stakes I'm hoping he can nick a place, running on powerfully.

15:00 Doncaster - Botanical @ 11/4

The Listed Doncaster Mile now, and some more very able, talented individuals.

I'm plumping for one of two who will run in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum - the other being the likely favourite Liberty Lane.

Botanical is with George Boughey at HQ, and will be ridden by Billy Loughnane. The lightly-raced five-year-old Lope De Vega gelding is five-from-nine in his career, and despite an obvious high level of form had a wind op last October which if only marginally beneficial could propel him to even greater heights.

He has three pounds to find with 'Liberty' on official marks but like his rival gets a bit further easily enough and seems extremely versatile, ground-wise. He was with Roger Varian until August, and has had just the one run for his new stable, in September last, finishing a short-head second in a Listed Goodwood contest over 10f.

If the subsequent wind procedure plus the change of scenery coaxes a pound or two of improvement he's bang there. Another tremendous battle is in prospect on a card totally befitting of the occasion.

15:15 Kempton - Shuwari @ 7/2

Ollie Sangster trains this four-year-old New Bay filly at Manton in Wiltshire, one of the most famous training bases of all time. Jamie Spencer is in the plate.

We've not seen Shuwari on the racetrack since October 2023 - some 533 days ago - but this was a Group-class two-year-old and connections deserve to have their persistence and hope rewarded.

Ollie has had two winners from his last six runners so the yard's in decent fettle, and it will be fascinating to see where she's at right now. Bit of a speculative pick perhaps but the likely favourite is skinny and far from bomb-proof (Soprano), so let's chance our arm, again with judicious and unheroic stakes, and see how we fare.

Spencer's got a big book of rides so it could be a red-letter, turn-the-clock-back kind of day for him, too, fingers crossed.

15:35 Doncaster - Orandi each-way @ 9/1

The Lincoln now - and another FIVE each-way places are on offer with Betfred.

This is getting a bit embarrassing, but we're riding the Rossa Ryan train again with Irish raider Orandi, trained in County Meath by Tony Martin. The seven-year-old Morandi gelding took the Irish equivalent 13 days ago at the Curragh under Shane Foley at 10/1, after an interrupted passage, scoring by three-quarters-of-a-length.

It was 4.75l back to the third, so it was a smart performance. He was rated 88 that day, and his new mark is 5lb higher at 93. Lots to like though about what was a career-best, and he comes here in the best possible form.

Ryan on top is no hardship, as I understand Shane is busy with a pretty full book of rides at the Curragh. He's drawn in the two box, which might be fabulous or a bit of a drawback - we won't know until we know!

A race to savour, and proof positive that the proper flat stuff is well and truly up and running.

ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.