Air Squadron can hit target dropped in class

Corpus Chorister should appreciate the return to a better surface 2.40 Salisbury

Although she might not want the going quite as quick as it is forecast at Salisbury, David Menuisier's filly will surely prefer conditions to the soft ground on which she trailed in a well-beaten fifth last time.

The form of her previous two efforts looks good. The winner of the Nottingham maiden in which she finished fourth on decent ground in May was initiating a hat-trick and the runner-up scored next time. On her handicap debut at the same track the following month she was third behind Baydar, who followed up, and a place in front of a subsequent winner.

That 0-85 was a good deal stronger than this 0-65, in which she races off a 4lb lower mark, the return to a mile is likely to suit and she has done well with the draw.

Etienne Gerard is better than he showed last time 3.20 Beverley

Nigel Tinkler's gelding had been in excellent form before finishing only seventh at Haydock last week and it might pay to forgive that effort as he ran alone from halfway, detached from the field and the pace.

He is much better judged on his previous two starts. He notched his third win on a decent surface when never far away at Windsor early last month and travelled extremely well before not quite getting home at stiff Leicester next time, shaping as though he was well worth a crack at today's 5f. That third place looks solid form, as the winner was completing a hat-trick, the runner-up won next time and so did the fourth, who was 4 1/2 lengths behind Etienne Gerard.

Although still 5lb higher than at Windsor, the son of Captain Gerrard has been placed off just 1lb lower on the all-weather and there is a good chance the drop to the minimum will bring about more improvement, with ground conditions in his favour.

Interestingly, the race is named in memory of Tinkler's late father Colin, so it goes without saying the trainer, who is sponsoring the contest, will be extremely keen to win it. So much so he is running two, althouth Tinsill, the other, could probably do with softer ground.

Air Squadron drops in class 3.50 Beverley

With a record of two wins from three starts in Class 4 company, Air Squadron is well worth a close look now he drops into that grade after two decent efforts in better class.

The Ralph Beckett-trained gedling finished with a wet sail from off the pace when taking third behind two who were ridden prominently at Kempton in June in what was by far his best effort on the all-weather. The Rail Link gelding probably wasn't far off matching that when fourth in a 0-100 at Newbury last time, without convincing he really wanted as far as 2m2f. That form is strong, with the winner completing a hat-trick and the improving runner-up going one better next time. There is nothing as progressive as that pair in this field.

Those two runs were a return to the kind of form Air Squadron showed when rattling up a hat-trick over 1m4f/1m6f on decent ground last season, the final win coming off just 1lb lower than he races from here. This return to 2m will surely suit, as should the fact he faces only five rivals (all four wins in single-figure fields), and the ground should be fine.