With so many race meetings enduring quagmire-like conditions over the last month, the use of the prefix GOOD in going reports has become redundant, with the wet weather leading to multiple cancellations. Didmarton has not been alone in coping with these problems but the organisers deserve great credit for producing good ground in very difficult circumstances, a view shared by connections of the 93 horses who participated in the eight races.
It is safe to say the going during Saturday's Duke of Beaufort meeting would have been the envy of many National Hunt courses, but less than 24 hours later the weather resumed its battle with the sport and that led to the last-minute abandonment of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale fixture at Charlton Hawthorne.
The Oriental Club (which was founded as a London meeting point for officers and officials who had fought, travelled or traded in India and the East) is backing an innovative new series of Owner/Trainer races, designed to give opportunities to those at the grassroots of point-to-pointing, and this new initiative got off to a good start with 15 runners lining up to try and win the first race in the series.
As soon as details of The Oriental Club race were published, Worcestershire trainer Christine Banks decided this provided a window of opportunity for her old favourite Vasco du Mee (pictured), an assertion that proved correct when the 11-year-old stormed to victory.
Order In Court and Mister Robbo were battling for the lead as they disappeared into the dip with half a mile to run, whereas Vasco du Mee was still some way behind in fifth.
The leading pair continued to pile on the pressure but Josephine Banks moved her mount up into a challenging position at the third from home and they continued to make relentless progress approaching the penultimate fence.
Vasco du Mee swept around the outside of the field on the final bend, taking the last with a three-length advantage which he maintained all the way to the post.
The winner was carrying first-time cheekpieces but Mrs Banks did not think this made any difference to his performance. "He is what he is," she said. "He has ability, it's getting him to show it that's the problem. As soon as I saw this series of races in the Planner, I thought they were tailor-made for him."
The Dando family has been trying to win the Members' at this meeting for half a century and they finally achieved their objective of seeing their colours carried to victory.
Charlie Dando adopted aggressive tactics on According To Harry, who vied for the lead with Come On You and Dancing Dave during the first half of the race before the Little Sodbury-based farrier sent his mount to the front with six fences to jump.
There was little between Dancing Dave, Handsome Sam and According To Harry at the penultimate obstacle, but the latter began to gain the upper hand approaching the last. Fly West had been anchored at the back of the field until local jockey Will Woodman decided to let off the handbrake with four fences to jump. They made up a significant amount of ground in the closing stages but According To Harry was always holding their challenge on the flat.
Dando recalled: "I saw him at Ascot and liked him, but when he failed to find a buyer I purchased him privately off Nicky Martin. My partner Brooke (Gardener-Wollen) deserves all the credit for this success. She does all the work with him and this is the first time I have sat on him."
The Intermediate attracted 17 runners, including Getaway Flyer, Miss Massey, Organised Solution, No Limitations, Risky Gold and Teeton Surprise, who all had winning form during the current season.
Dando made a bold attempt to land a pillar-to-post victory on Everbody's Talkin but the partnership failed to last home despite their best efforts. Organised Solution, who had been backed into favouritism, was still in a prominent position when making an uncharacteristic blunder at the ninth.
Everybody's Talkin led turning back towards home but was being hotly pursued by Getaway Flyer, No Limitations and Miss Massey, while Miss Seagreen's stamina was just beginning to kick in.
No Limitations took the lead between the final two fences but Sam Jukes knows his mare well and Miss Seagreen came through to grab a share of the lead as they straightened up for the judge, before holding off No Limitations' renewed challenge on the downhill run to the finish.
Asked if he was confident he was going to win, Jukes replied: "No. She hit the last fence at Chaddesley and that cost her the race, and approaching the last I thought the same thing could happen here, so I gave her a kick and she jumped the fence perfectly." Although future plans are still to be decided, Opens or the Mares' or Intermediate Finals at Cheltenham are potential objectives.
There was an air of disappointment when just eight of the 34 entries met their engagements in the PPORA Club Members' race, but it produced an exciting finish, nonetheless. The Sally Randell-trained Barney Dwan started favourite on the strength of his impressive win at Cocklebarrow but there was plenty of support for the Phil Rowley-trained and Alex Edwards-ridden Salvatore.
Templebraden was pulled up at the ninth when still in contention, but by this time Barney Dwan and Sam Burton continued to set a searching pace and still held a narrow lead over Salvatore as they raced downhill with five to jump.
Tb Broke Her was struggling in third place at this point and the two market leaders then went stride for stride over the next two fences. Salvatore started to get the upper hand after two out but was harried all the way down the home straight before the favourite eventually conceded defeat.
The two riders involved in the close finish for the Novice Riders' race were a credit to their connections, with neither deserving to be beaten.
Doc Carver and Rebecca Pugh came through to dispute the lead at the penultimate but no sooner had they done so, Ben Bromley brought the favourite The Last But One with a well-timed run which saw the pair jump the last in unison. That looked a race-winning manoeuvre, but Miss Pugh refused to accept defeat and forced her mount back up in the shadows of the post to claim a narrow victory.
The Last But One's owner, Bloodstock Agent Tom Malone, gained compensation later in the afternoon when Milanford benefitted from an enterprising ride from multiple champion Will Biddick.
The partnership led from flag fall in the first division of the Open Maiden, but Biddick's mount kept pulling out extra when challenged and Milanford was able to extend the advantage over his rivals in the home straight.
Various West Midland-qualified horses set the pace in the Restricted, with Round Robin, Natter Jack Croak and R Bren prominent for the first circuit, but all paid the price in the second half of the race.
Bradley Gibbs and the favourite Premier Magic were in sixth at the top of the hill, but two fences later they had taken the lead and only Where's Wilma was able to offer any sort of resistance in the closing stages. There was not much in it on the final bend but Premier Magic finally asserted on the flat.
The well-supported Ahoy Senor was an early casualty in the second division of the Maiden, but the manner of Smoking Pigeon's success suggests he would have had difficulty clinging onto the leader's coat tails in the final half of the race.
Nick Phillips sent his mount to the front at the start of the second circuit, and as they piled on the pressure their rivals dropped away at regular intervals. Smoking Pigeons had the race in his pocket a long way from home and scored an impressive victory despite being eased down on the run-in.