George Wood celebrated a first half century of winners with a double on Sandown Park’s Friday afternoon card.

Crown Board was Wood's 50th winner of the season when scoring by six lengths in the feature 7f handicap.

The Jane Chappel-Hyam five-year-old last won back on debut in 2023. A couple of weeks ago the gelding finished six of ten in a 7f handicap at Chester on good to firm ground. With the ground soft, he seemed to relish the conditions to go on and score cosily by six lengths.

Wood didn’t have to wait much longer to ride winner number 51 after steering Sunlit Uplands to victory in the penultimate race of the afternoon.

Having to come from last to first proved no problem for the consistent three-year-old who has already picked up two wins and a couple of second places in just four races.

Owner trainer Rae Guest was concerned about the ground cutting up badly after heavy showers during the afternoon, but decided to run the filly, with his decision proving a wise one to make after scoring by a length and a quarter in the 7f fillies’ handicap.

Pulborough trainer David Menuisier received the perfect birthday present after Sea The Storm took the 1m fillies’ stakes on debut under Silvestre De Sousa.

A £110,000 yearling, closely related to several useful winners, the filly tracked leaders on the inner side before making headway over 1f out. Despite looking green after hanging left in the final 100 yards, she kept on well to head Cherry Baker and win by two and a quarter lengths.

The opening race on the card featured half the field who had run before with six debutants on show. As the race unfolded it was down to a couple who had previous experience to fight out the finish with the Michael Appleby trained Gentle George prevailing by a length from Star Of Albion.

The love affair with Matthew Lloyd Slater and Lequinto continued after the experienced eight-year-old captured the 5f handicap.

Seven-pound claimer Slater has teamed up with the gelding with four wins including three victories in a week.

At Leicester the horse made no impression when sixth of ten in a handicap. However, Tony Carroll’s decision to send out Lequinto quickly proved successful, with the consistent gelding scoring by a length and a half.

Suspended Sentence held off the challenge of the only filly in the race Assaranca to take the 1m nursery handicap under Cieren Fallen for trainer Michael Bell who completed an across the card double after Mayday Malone won at Chester to give the Newmarket handler his fifth winner from his past 12 runners.

By Peter Moore