Ryedale trainer Tim Easterby is bidding for a major cross-country double in two of tomorrow's televised feature races.

Turgeonev, winner of his last three starts, represents the Great Habton handler in Ascot's £60,000 Victor Chandler Handicap Chase at Ascot, while Barton heads to Newcastle for the £25,000 Cantor Index 'Dipper' Novices' Chase.

A much-improved horse since joining the Easterby yard from the now-retired Micky Hammond, Turgeonev gained his latest success with a battling victory over Minster Glory in the valuable Castleford Chase at Wetherby's Christmas meeting.

That win stamped Turgeonev as a progressive campaigner and, although he faces his biggest test to date tomorrow, he has every chance of coming through it with flying colours. Richard McGrath takes the mount in a race, which will be covered on BBC1.

Channel 4 cameras will be covering Barton's race at Gosforth Park, a course which is becoming inceasingly familiar to this prolific winner.

Two of his three wins to date over fences were at Newcastle, and he also won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle on the same course.

Held in the highest regard in the Easterby camp, Barton's latest success at Wetherby confirmed him to be a hugely-exciting recruit to the novice chase ranks and he is my Nap choice.

The Arkle Trophy Chase at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival in March is the big target for Barton, who can enhance his claims by winning again tomorrow in the hands of his regular rider, Tony Dobbin.

Tomorrow's other televised action comes from Warwick, where the Gerrard Tolworth Hurdle (transferred from the recently-abandoned Sandown meeting) is an added feature race.

This looks an excellent opportunity for Henrietta Knight's useful Stars Out Tonight to complete a hat-trick of wins.

The £60,000 Tote Scoop6 Warwickshire Gold Cup Chase could be handsome consolation for Young Spartacus, who was denied a run at Wetherby yesterday when the meeting was abandoned after two races because of fog.

Trained by Henry Daly, Young Spartacus would have gone close to beating Legal Right and Kingsmark in a Grade 2 race at Haydock last time had he not made a mistake at the second-last fence.

Tomorrow's tips:

Ascot

12.50 In Contrast, 1.20 Il'Athou, 1.50 Turgeonev, 2.20 Benbyas, 2.55 Upgrade, 3.30 Mini Sensation, 4.00 Coursing Run.

Newcastle

12.40 Northern Raider, 1.10 Aelred, 1.45 Moss Harvey, 2.15 Barton (Nap), 2.45 Sea Ferry, 3.15 Roman Outlaw, 3.45 Frontis.

Warwick

12.00 Brooklyn's Gold, 12.30 Seebald, 1.00 Frederic Forever, 1.30 Gun 'N' Roses, 2.00 Know Thyne, 2.35 Stars Out Tonight, 3.10 Young Spartacus, 3.40 Spendid.

Updated: 12:16 Friday, January 11, 2002