A pleasant summer evening meeting, not starting too early despite the time of year, and attended by a reasonable size crowd. The distraction of the Miss West Sussex competition drew only a passing interest from those not in the entourage of the contestants, but with Fullers now supplying the bar, and the Hammerpot Brewery having a stand - beer £2 a pint - plus much of the catering now seemingly in-house, including an Indian takeaway by the junction of the enclosures, the alternative attractions are recovering from the depths sunk to a couple of years ago. The only downside was the return of the much loathed marquee that hides much of the home straight from view of all those not in Members. You should be able to have your cake and get at least a nibble of it.

All in all, though, the modest standard of racing means that there were few positive indicators for the future, one race notably excepted.

Going: Good

Race 1: Betnow Text Your Bet To 89808 Handicap Chase [2m 6f]

1: Soleil Fix     2: River Indus     3: Another Native

Winner owned & ridden: David Dunsdon, trained: Nick Gifford

Course specialist River Indus (only bad chase run when not getting home over 3m 2f) posted his usual solid effort, but found himself mugged by Soleil Fix, who was considerably livened up by the first use of a visor. In fact, considering he posted a series of scrappy jumps, including the last, and also got five out so seriously wrong that David Dunsdon lost his irons (until a couple of years ago the fourth from home came up much sooner and would have been a serious problem), Soleil Fix was physically far more superior than a mere three lengths margin indicates.

Race 2: onlyproperty.co.uk Four Year Olds Intermediate Hurdle [2m 2.5f]

1: Lupanar     2: Maraafeq     3: Special Day

Winner owned: R Kiernan, trained: Gary Moore, ridden: Jamie Moore

The main trio in this were well ahead of their four 'challengers' and it had the potential for a half decent race, but the way it panned out late on raised doubts about the merits of all three. Lupanar steered an erratic course from the second last, but seemed to stick at the job well enough, wearing down Maraafeq on the run-in. With his win having been on heavy, Maraafeq was about as popular in the betting ring as Gordon Brown at an election, but he did nothing at all wrong, being beaten a whisker by a winner who had ten pounds in hand on him at the official ratings. Special Day had been twelfth in the Triumph Hurdle and won on soft after. He was on the far rail and blocked off by Lupanar's drift approaching the last. Switched to get some daylight, he then saw the first pair cross him again on the run-in. It looked unlucky, but he had plenty of opportunity to fight back, only to end up losing ground with each stride in the last 50 yards.

Return of the diagram, showing the routes taken after two out by the runners, leaving out the bit where the hurdles and chase courses join because it was a bit tricky

Race 3: MEP Photography Family Portraits Beginners' Chase [2m 2f]

1: Zilcash     2: Grand Silence     3: Grasp

Winner owned: David Bellamy & Stephen Williams, trained: Alan King, ridden: Robert Thornton

The three most talented horses in the race were making their chase debuts, and filled three of the first four positions. As none of them did anything obviously wrong (fourth placed South O'The Border was having only his second run back from a long lay off), the presence of the fast finishing outsider Grand Silence in second may not be a fluke. Two from home, Zilcash took the lead in a race where several were in touch, and went clear fairly unflustered. Grasp lost second by running out of steam in the last few yards, a bit surprising for a horse with hurdle wins over this trip and two mile flat triumphs as well.

Race 4: Yeomans Nissan yeomans.co.uk Claming Hurdle [2m 4f]

1: Highland Games     2: Prime Contender     3: Sonnengold

Winner owned: MJ Haines, trained: Evan Williams, ridden: Paul Moloney

With Bold Trump setting off at a decent lick, the resolution of some of these was stretched a little thin. Highland Games cruised to the front four from home and put daylight between himself and the pack. Odds-on jolly Prime Contender gave chase, got the lead after Highland Games walloped two out, had it sewn up when his only threat put in a tired flop at the last, and then promptly pulled himself up on the run-in, handing back the honours. Both of this pair were claimed. For £5,000 Highland Games has had injuries, but three recent pulled ups included two chases, he still has some mileage pottering around in sellers and claimers. At more than twice the price, Prime Contender appears a more risky acquisition.

Almost two laps remain, and the activity lacks composure already in the claimer. Night Groove is the rear guard, left to right the ones fleeing in panic are Highland Games, Dauphin Des Carres, Bold Trump, Harcourt, Prime Contender, Sonnengold and Cusp

Race 5: David Lloyd Worthing Handicap Chase [3m 2.5f]

1: Jim Bobs Girl     2: The Laying Hen     3: Harry Collins

Winner owned: PJ Hughes Developments Ltd, trained: Alison Thorpe, ridden: Michael Murphy

The meeting ended with a pair of fearsomely tricky handicaps, and the opportunity was seized in the first one for Jim Bobs Girl to win her first race, at the sixteenth attempt, from The Laying Hen, whose racing style is not quite as ungainly as the name suggests. Mind you, running in a manner of someone with an egg up his bum did not slow down Michael Johnson one iota... The winner just seems to need a long trip and decent ground, as her best place form up this point shows, whereas The Laying Hen's best two runs have been more specifically course, distance and going. Those paragons of Fontwellian frame making regularity Peveril Pride and Mystical Star were fourth and sixth respectively.

The first ever win of Jim Bobs Girl, with lots in hand on this evidence, prompted wild celebrations in some corners, and bewilderment in others.  The Laying Hen gives game chase.

Race 6: Brendan Powell Racing Handicap Hurdle [2m 6.5f]

1: Pochard     2: Mysaynoway     3: Benedict Bay

Winner owned: Mrs JJ Shaw, trained: James Eustace, ridden: Mark Bradburne

Four of the eighteen declarations were non-runners in this, which left the weight range between top and bottom a mere six pounds. So the race was all about who was red hot on the day, who got the run of the race, and who acted on track and ground. One who did not fit  those criteria was the well backed, sponsor-trained favourite Wild Ground (recent good form was in chases), and another was Mancebo, making a quick reappearance to try and defy a shoot up the handicap (for a hard race on testing ground over two miles - nothing like this). On a night when the sun meant many, many runners looked on top of their form in the paddock, Pochard looked notably well. Her best run was encouragingly over this trip and ground at Stratford. It could also be a negative, as it was the only sign of hope in her career, flat or jumps, but like Mancebo, her latest run where she pulled up behind Benedict Bay was in such different conditions and over such a different trip as to be of limited relevance. Mysaynoway set off in front, was soon well clear, and although brushed aside by Pochard, did at least hang on for a hard earned second.

Plus Points

Another Native (race 1): Plodded on quite well considering that the drying ground (good to soft and raining 24 hours earlier) had worked to his disadvantage.

Zilcash (race 3): Chase debut, took to it like a duck to water.

Grand Silence (race 3): A repetition would see him challenging for honours, although he might have stuffed up is handicap mark something rotten.

Highland Games (race 4): Can compete very well in sellers and claimers if this indicates a return to his form of last spring.

The Laying Hen (race 5): Developing a taste for this place, although returns on effort so far have been pretty poultry.

Twenti Twenti (race 6): Presumably named as he lacked substance, he managed fourth, his best run yet, and as his yard has not been firing, it could be a genuine step forward, rather than a one-off

Down Arrow

Soleil Fix (race 1): At face value got his act together, but will his jumping hold up in future? Will the headgear work again? He is likely to be rated optimistically, but there is ample scope for a flop

Scarlet Mix (race 1): Was noted at Plumpton last time as not having taken to chases, and things went from bad to worse, taking a heavy fall at the 10th. His low handicap rating for chases is irrelevant, as he is not up to the task.

Prime Contender (race 4): Looked a right old monkey and one to avoid at all costs. The case for the defence is that he did win twice over two miles last season, so perhaps his temper cannot handle races much longer than 4 minutes.