By Peter Moore at Epsom September 10th

Picture: Dapper Guest by Peter Moore

Local trainers Jim Boyle and George Baker kept the Epsom flag flying high when both secured victories on the card at Epsom’s Thursday afternoon meeting.

Only two miles separate the two trainers yards, with Boyle sending out eight runners to the meeting and Baker two.

Boyle drew first blood after saddling Carnival Day to victory in the 1m 2f handicap. In a messy finish to the race, four horses were in a strong position to win the race with Beach Point drifting across over a furlong out, Patrol short of room and hung right over 1f out, impeded and denied clear run inside final furlong, and the eventual winner who hung right when closed on leaders 2f out, disputed lead inside final furlong, ran on well, to lead in the final strides and hung on by a nose.

A stewards enquiry was called, but after a long wait the placings remained unaltered with the owners of Carnival Day finally able to celebrate.

Marsh Benham landed the finale on the card for Baker. The Epsom handler wasn’t in attendance but if watching from afar he would have been impressed with the seven-year-old’s performance.

Having won back at Sandown in July, two recent performances have been slightly disappointing, but today he was back to winning ways with Jack Callan completing a double after steering Marsh Benham to a comfortable five length victory over Redredrobin with Harry Vigors in the saddle.

The claimer was later handed a two day suspension by the stewards for careless riding as he had allowed his horse to hang right-handed without sufficient correction.

Earlier Callan completed the first leg of his double and enhanced his position at the top of the apprentice jockeys championship after steering Dapper Guest to victory in the 7f handicap.

The George Margason four-year-old took a six runner handicap over C&D ten days ago and defied a 5lb penalty to score by a length and a quarter.

Quite Cheeky, made a winning debut for William Haggas in the opening race of the afternoon.

The 70,000gns purchase, who is a half-brother to Italian St Leger winner Atzeco, showed plenty of greenness but powered home up the centre of the track to win by a neck under Cieren Fallon.

Ian Williams sent Duc De Kent on the 248 mile round trip to the Surrey track which proved worthwhile with the gelding holding on under claimer Conor Whiteley to take the

“He’ll stay further and he really enjoyed the cut in the ground,” Fallon told Racing TV. “He actually surprised me as I wouldn’t have thought he’d travel so well on such an undulating track, it’s just all on raw natural ability.

“He took the preliminaries in pretty nicely and he didn’t really hit his top speed today, because he was having a good look at everything. He was unsure on the canvas in the last half-furlong but he’s a nice horse.”

Ian Williams sent Duc De Kent on the 248 mile round trip to the Surrey track which proved worthwhile with the gelding holding on under claimer Conor Whiteley to take the apprentice derby handicap by a neck from Crooked Path at odds of 22-1.

There was another shock and big priced winner on the afternoon when Likeness landed the 1m handicap by a length with George Bass in the plate.

Bass made the decision to come down the stand rail side which was a positive move and successful one for trainer Jack Channon.