Kevin Darley is poised to complete another century after yesterday's double on Happy Crusader and Sandenista at Newcastle.

Happy Crusader was a shade of odds-on in the featured £20,000 Chisholm Bookmakers Blaydon Race Nursery and he gave his supporters some anxious moments before he wore down Red Damson close home to win the mile test by half a length.

But Darley had not been worried, and he said of the Paul Cole-trained colt: ''He is a workmanlike little horse, and I always knew I was going to get there.''

It was a close call too on Sandenista, but he took his score to 99 as he coaxed that vital bit extra out of the Luca Cumani-trained filly to get back up near the line after being headed by Ijtihad in the Walkers Snack Foods Maiden Stakes.

Sandenista is owned and was bred by Lord Hartington and the Duke Of Roxburghe, a steward at the meeting, who said: ''Kevin said she would get another couple of furlongs and we will look for another little race for her. But I think she will not race after this season.''

He added: ''It has been quite a good day because I also bred Fort, who won the first race at Epsom for Mark Johnston.''

Darley added with a smile: ''I am not there yet! But if I do get there, it will be my 11th century in a row.

''Overall I think it is getting harder all the time. I know there is more racing now, but it is very competitive and there are probably about 20 jockeys who have already got to 50 for the season.''

Cole completed a double when his only other runner at the meeting, Sovereign Dreamer, won the Springfield Honda Handicap under a fine front-running ride from John Bramhill, who gained his first success for the Whatcombe trainer when this horse won at Ripon last time out.

Joe Fanning, who had a big-race winner at Deauville on Sunday, is one of those to have reached a half-century on the domestic front, achieving that feat with a finely-judged front-running ride on Alan Swinbank's Red Romeo in the EBF Chisholm Bookmakers Maiden Stakes.

Swinbank ended a quiet spell on the Flat when What-A-Dancer won at Goodwood on Sunday, and his assistant, Bill Haigh, said: ''We had the cough two or three months ago and it has probably taken them longer to get over it than we thought it would.

''He is the first of our four two-year-olds to win and I am a bit surprised. I did not think he would beat the favourite, but he has done it well.''

Paul Hanagan picked up a one-day suspension (September 3) for not riding to his draw on Brunel, runner-up to Red Romeo, but he had a happier time of it when producing Jim Goldie's Constantine with a sustained run to get up close home in the Chisholm Bookmakers Handicap.

Constantine was a 72,000gns buy out of the Roger Charlton stable and Goldie trains him for Willie Johnstone, whose father Richard is part-owner of Ayr racecourse.

The trainer said: ''He is improving all the time and the plan now is to go to Haydock in two weeks' time for another one mile six furlongs race.''

Ian Semple's horses are in good form and he took his score for the season to 22 when bargain buy Answered Promise won the Northumberland Scouts Charity Auction Claiming Stakes under a good ride from apprentice Derek McGaffin.

The Carluke trainer said: ''That's not bad, is it? He has now won four since I bought him out of the Ed Dunlop stable for 1,000 guineas.

''I think I will give him a ring and ask him if he has any more like him.

''He is a genuine horse at this level, in races in which most of them are blinkered or visored and don't want to win!''

Semple's best score is 34, achieved last season, and he added: ''If you had asked me at the start of the season if I would be happy with 22 winners I would have said yes, because we have a lot of two-year-olds who are horses for next year really.''

Trainer Alan Berry was fined £120 because Indian Music arrived at the start of his race without the cheekpieces he had been declared to wear, and as a result had to be withdrawn.

* Henrik Engblom found the undulations of Epsom to be right up his street as he made his first trip to the track a winning one in the Burton & Smith Amateur Derby.

The 20-year-old Swedish rider, who is assistant trainer to Tommy Gustafsson at Taby, showed a wise head as he took the prestigious contest on 10-1 chance Eton.

British rider James Diment looked to have stolen a march aboard Ravenglass as he kicked for home around Tattenham Corner and quickly pulled seven lengths clear by the two-furlong pole.

But Ravenglass was gradually reeled in and on the uphill climb to the line the Dandy Nicholls-trained winner got up in the dying strides to score by a neck.