Sam Turner's Racing Tips: All the best bets for Saturday, January 24

By Sam Turner For The Daily Mail

Published: 19:49 EST, 23 January 2015 | Updated: 19:49 EST, 23 January 2015

This promises to be a pivotal afternoon in Alan King’s season with the Barbury Castle trainer holding strong chances in the day’s feature chases.

SMAD PLACE (Cheltenham, 1.50) looks to enhance his Gold Cup credentials in the BetBright Cup Chase, before medermit (Doncaster, nb, 3.15) bids to roll back the years in the Skybet Chase. 

Smad Place looks to enhance his Gold Cup credentials in the BetBright Cup Chase on Saturday

The former has a fair bit to find with leading principals Dynaste and Many Clouds on form but was reported to be lacking in fitness on his return in the Hennessy and should be a lot sharper. 

Admittedly, he has 20 lengths to make up with Many Clouds on their running at Newbury but a return to Prestbury Park could ignite the fire in Smad Place, who has been placed at the last three Cheltenham Festivals.

Today’s trip on the ground may suit King’s grey more than Dynaste, who stuck on gamely to take the runner-up berth in the King George but has always given the impression a slog in the mud over three miles and more is not his cup of tea.

Wayne Hutchison’s stats aboard Smad Place read 1-3-1-3-3 and the eight-year-old can catapult himself into the Gold Cup picture.

Some may feel Medermit faces a stiff task conceding weight all round at Doncaster but he has been going head to head with the likes of Sam Winner, Silviniaco Conti and Menorah this term, so should find today’s test more manageable.

The veteran has contested only one handicap over fences for King, winning it handsomely, so he looks a spot of value.

Tomorrow sees another dust-up between Hurricane Fly and Jezki with the former striving to set an astonishing record of five straight Irish Champion Hurdle victories.

Incredibly, the Fly is unbeaten in nine starts at the track and has beaten his old foe twice this term, so looks likely to complete Grade One win No 21.

Uttoxeter

1.05 The Wexfordian

1.40 Bar A Mine

2.15 Spice Fair

2.50 Lily Waugh

3.25 Marie Des Anges

4.00 Moving Waves

Lingfield

12.50 Astral Weeks

1.25 Gabrial’s Wawa

2.00 Pathway To Honour

2.35 Silverheels

3.10 Razor Wind

3.45 Blue Aegean

4.20 The Dapper Tapper (nap)

Cheltenham

12.40 Peace And Co

1.15 Ned Stark

1.50 Smad Place

2.25 Annacotty

3.00 Value At Risk

3.35 Cole Harden

4.10 Dell’ Arca

Doncaster

12.25 Ink Master

12.55 Solar Impulse

1.30 De Boitron

2.05 Princess Leya

2.40 Caracci Apache

3.15 Medermit (nb)

3.50 Mardale

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