SHERIFF Hutton's Kevin Darley will be hoping to steal a march on his rivals at York's first-ever Sunday race meeting in his quest for the jockey's championship.

While his main rival for the title - Pat Eddery - has yet to formulate his plans, in-form Darley has already been provisionally booked to ride in five of the seven races at Knavesmire on Sunday at the historic meeting which is being sponsored by the Evening Press.

Darley, who was also in action on Knavesmire today, has 118 winners to Eddery's 107 with Richard Quinn also in contention with 105.

Northern stables have been quick to snap up Darley for Sunday duty with Middleham's Mark Johnston earmarking him to ride Virgin Soldier, which finished third to Give The Slip in last week's Ebor, in the Minster Jaguar York Stakes.

He is likely to face opposition from Quinn, who began his career as an apprentice with Herbert Jones' Norton yard in the mid-1970s, in that one mile five furlong race.

Quinn, now based at Newmarket with Henry Cecil, is scheduled to be on Romantic Affair, which also ran in last week's Ebor meeting.

Darley is set to ride the Alan Jarvis trained Baccura in the first race, the York Swallow Hotel Nursery, then Johnston's Sea Squirt in the second event, the Sanderson Motorhouse York Claiming Stakes.

Another of Darley's mounts is Flying Carpet, trained by Tim Easterby, in the Polo SupermintHandicap. He is also down to ride Style Dancer for Richard Whitaker in the Monks Cross Shopping Park Quintin Gilbey Silver Trophy race.

With Eddery serving a two-day suspension tomorrow and Friday, Sunday's meeting could give Darley a big chance to ram home his advantage.

Darley was on the mark at Ripon last night as he gave Easterby his 50th winner of the season when Samadilla secured the Steve Nesbitt Challenge Trophy.

The victory was especially sweet for Darley as Eddery, could finish only fifth on the even-money favourite Ridge Runner.

Quinn, in danger of losing touch with Darley and Eddery, pulled one back when Andromedes, his only mount of the day, triumphed in the Tote Exacta Handicap.

Racing begins at York at 2pm on Sunday but the gates open at 11.30am.

Accompanied children under 16 years of age are admitted free of charge into all enclosures.