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Merry Vic, who missed last season with a tendon injury, easily took the Men's open to make Marcus Gorman's dedication worthwhile. "He gets up at 5.30 every morning to get to London, and then goes to the gym at 10 in the evening when he comes home," said his wife Carolyn. "I don't know how he does it."

Merry Vic's defeat at Larkhill in February was put down to the testing ground. "He couldn't handle it," Carolyn admitted. "It was soft when he broke down at Catsfield, so we'll only run him on good ground now."

Hunter Chasing may be on the agenda at some stage, but the immediate target is the Philip Scouller Memorial race at Tweseldown on April 11, which the Gormans won last year with Cape Stormer. The cup with which the Gormans were presented on that occasion was the Helpex trophy, and coincidentally Helpex himself was used as a schoolmaster for Carolyn, the daughter of former top steeplechase jockey Tony Grantham, 25 years ago.

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"He'll get the slow ones and I'll get the fast ones." Marcus obviously intends to pull rank over son George, currently aged 15, whom he is looking forward to riding against in 2011.

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Durante, who was given to Andrew Coveney by his wife Fiona as a 50th birthday present, was a comfortable winner of the Intermediate in the hands of Peter Bull, although his race could have ended at the first fence. "I got badly bumped and nearly fell off," admitted the area's leading rider.

Andrew and joint-owner Lee Sadler were due to be on judging duty at Aldington two days later, and Lee, a farrier, also helps out at Penshurst, where Andrew is clerk of the course and where, the previous week, Durante had given his daughter Arabella, 16, her initial ride.

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"I'd be riding as well as he does when I'm his age if I had a wife as good-looking as his." Nick Pearce, more than 20 years Peter's junior, credits Suzy Bull for her husband's success.

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Nick's own yard has been under a cloud for much of the season with a virus, and he saddled no runners for five weeks, but the 2m4f Maiden victory of Peadar confirmed that the horses are on their way back. "Simon [Tindall, for whom Nick trains exclusively] buys one privately every year, so I go to Ireland in April or May and sit on about 25," explained Nick. "He was the first I tried and I knew he'd be the one - he was such a good mover."

"He does everything at home so easily that it makes you wonder if he's just a morning glory," he added, "but he's got so many gears. He really appreciates good ground."

Peadar is now qualified for Folkestone's Grant's Cherry Brandy final, but Nick has his eyes on 2011. "If he happened to win a Hunter Chase before he'd won a Restricted or Intermediate he'd be penalised next year," he reasoned, "so I'd like to just keep ticking away nicely in the South East for now."

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Nick doubled up in the Conditions race on Caroline Holliday's Gold Heart, whose defeat by Ambrosinni at Penshurst last time out the jockey blamed on himself. "I thought I was on Pegasus and that when I pressed the button he'd just go," Nick confessed. "I was too negative on him and I've realised you need to be bolshie with him - a bit more Richard Johnson than Timmy Murphy."

"David Smyly, who buys my horses for me, purchased him at Doncaster. He was on my short-list, but I didn't think I'd be able to afford him," said Caroline of the grey, who had won five races in France but had rather lost his way after subsequently joining Alan King. "He couldn't even trot over poles at first so I've got Warren Marshall to thank for his help," she smiled. "He built a grid and got a lot of exercise picking up the poles which we scattered all over the arena!"

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Overheard (1). Owner, prior to race: "I hope it isn't another ‘p.u', unless it means ‘pissed up.'"

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Overheard (2). Jockey, after finishing unplaced: "It was a bit like a Ford Fiesta trying to go with a Ferrari."

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"That's the best ride she's ever given a horse," enthused Dan Dennis after his fiancée Caroline Taylor had won the Ladies' Open on her Badger, who was giving a stone to the runner-up Xila Fontenailles. Always handy, as had been the plan - "He's not the sort of horse you want to disappoint," said Dan - Caroline kicked on five out and the result never appeared in doubt thereafter.

Describing Badger as "an absolutely brilliant little horse," Dan added the proviso "but he's the trickiest horse in the world to ride and to train. He bolts all the time - he pulls up and then off he goes again!"

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Despite jumping violently right-handed and thereby covering considerably more ground than any of his rivals, Achieved ran out an easy winner of the Hunt race. "I let him run down the first couple of fences because he was wanting to stand off too far," explained rider Gordon Gallagher, "and after that he kept going right."

Owner Dan O'Brien, a licensed trainer, was skiing in France and was represented by his nephew and assistant, Chris [O'Brien], who said the seven-year-old would probably go summer jumping under Rules. Achieved was wearing a protective boot on his near fore, having sustained an over-reach a few days previously, an injury which Chris felt might have contributed to his wayward fencing.

Achieved was bred by Dan out of Equity's Darling, who won four times over hurdles.

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