Friday's ITV Racing Tips: Ben Linfoot's preview and selections as Cheltenham returns

Horse Racing

Thu October 22, 2026 · 5h ago

Our form expert has three selections for Friday's ITV Racing as Cheltenham returns and they race on the Flat at Doncaster.

The Verdict: Friday October 23

0.5pts e.w. Fils De Roi in the 14:25 Cheltenham at 25/1 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair 1/5 1,2,3,4)

1pt win Zoum Zoum in the 14:45 Doncaster at 11/1 (William Hill, 10/1 General)

1pt win Traprain Law in the 15:35 Cheltenham at 5/1 (General)

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Caught in a Trap at Cheltenham

With Storm Austen battering the country Friday’s ITV Racing at Cheltenham and Doncaster could suit a bunch of horses who haven’t had their conditions for a long time with the ground likely to get softer at both tracks.

The Showcase Meeting is a bit of a toe dipper into the jumps season but a couple of bets do appeal with the forecast rain in mind.

Remarkably, the ground was officially ‘Good, Good to Soft in places' at Cheltenham on Thursday despite 40mm of rain this week, but with fresh precipitation coming in on race day, with another 20mm due to fall through the night and into Friday morning, the soft ground horses could well come to the fore.

The best bet on the card could well be TRAPRAIN LAW in the squareintheair.com Handicap Chase, then, for Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore, as he can’t have it soft enough and he has good Cheltenham form in his locker on quicker ground.

Indeed, in this race last year he ran well in fourth after being outpaced, beaten 13 lengths by Dan Skelton’s Calico when in receipt of 8lb.

Skelton’s horse is going for the hat-trick this year, but on softer ground I would expect Traprain Law to be much more competitive and this time around he gets 15lb from Calico, rising to 22lb if you include Lucas Murphy’s (son of Timmy) claim.

Murphy has assembled a tidy little record already and racing in his grandfather Raymond Green’s silks, as he does here, he is two from three after a couple of wins on Tuppence, but a win at Cheltenham would top the lot.

Whether you buy into that sentiment or not the horse looks well placed, with those below him in the weights out of the handicap, and given he goes well fresh and two miles on softer ground is perfect for him, things have come together nicely.

The Verdict: Back TRAPRAIN LAW in the 15:35 Cheltenham

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Fils yer boots at 25/1

Earlier on at Cheltenham in the Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle I can’t resist a small each-way bet on FILS DE ROI at 25/1 for Fergal O’Brien.

O’Brien has won this race three times in the last seven years and he has a good record here in the conditional jockey races at the other meetings too, with Oscar Thyne running third at 16/1 in one such event off the back of a 517-day break.

That is encouraging regarding the chances of Fils De Roi, who runs here for the first time in 532 days, an absence that leaves a question mark hanging over his current level of fitness.

Given O’Brien’s record in these races he looks worth the risk, particularly as he’s only seven, has good form in better races off higher marks and is well proven on softer ground and over further.

Jockey Tom Broughton is in the saddle and he won this race last year on Leloopa, while having an overall record for the yard of 32 wins from 172 at 19%, perhaps another indication that Fils De Roi is well ready to do himself justice.

The Verdict: Back FILS DE ROI in the 14:25 Cheltenham

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Room for the Zoum at Doncaster

Finally, it’s soft and getting softer at Doncaster and that should bring Ralph Beckett’s ZOUM ZOUM right into calculations in the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap over seven furlongs at 14:45.

The son of Zoustar has been given a chance by the handicapper who has dropped him 6lb in four runs to a mark of 99 following a light campaign where Beckett looks to have been waiting for the weather to turn.

The rain has come just in time for Zoum Zoum’s favourite time of year, with all four of the five-year-old’s career successes coming in the autumn months of October and November, with one of them coming at this track on soft ground off a 2lb higher mark.

That was two years ago as a three-year-old and since then he has barely run in handicaps as he has plied his trade in pattern company, but this drop in grade looks timely with everything coming together for him.

The lightly-raced Palladus could be a threat if he handles conditions, but with Zoum Zoum well proven in the ground he looks the bet at double-figure prices.