QUESTIONS were set at Salisbury - would the veteran Airshow meet the challenge of running over a mile for the first time, would Bownder enjoy the firm going and was Hollie Doyle's one ride significant? All were answered correctly.

The opening amateur riders race would make the shortlist for the worst race of the year and by the time the field had reached halfway, most riders would have needed a telescope to see the leader. 

 "He's a one dimensional horse," Patrick Millman said of the winning nine-year-old who surprisingly went off at a generous 7/2. "He tries so hard and that is his biggest attribute. If every horse tried as much as him, they would find it easy. The only question was whether he would see out the trip. If it was a seven furlong race, he would have been odds-on but this was really a weak race."

George Rooke stayed clear of the melee in the centre of the track when Jack Andrea drifted to his left, and threading his way through a gap on the far side, ran out a comfortable winner of the one-mile nursery on Bownder who was looking for racing room three out. "It opened up on the far side, he stayed on well and won going away. The only question was the ground and he handled it well."

Shamran was backed in from 5/2 to 11/8f and once Doyle brought the imposing three-year-old on the outside two out, the result was inevitable. It took four races for him to get off the mark but as she pointed out, he had been competing in good class maidens on both turf and the all weather surfaces. Which did feel she was preferable? "I don't think it makes any difference, he's quite versatile and I think he will get further."

They were good support acts to the top of the bill story, the gorgeous looking Sarab Star who had been working so well at home it had registered on the bookmakers' grapevine. Opening at even money, he was heavily backed into odds-on favouritism in the six-furlong maiden, and, despite showing understandable inexperience on his debut, showed plenty of pluck to snatch the spoils in virtually the last stride from Good Banter who had headed him in the closing stages.

Jack Channon, a rare visitor to the track, said of the Zoustar colt who holds a host of group entries: "He travelled well during the race but once he came off the bridle, he was looking at everything except what was at hand, but he knuckled down well. It was his first day at school and I don't mind if they are beaten first time out as long as they enjoy themselves. He's very straight forward and will stay further."

Channon, accompanied by his dad, former trainer and international footballer Mike Channon, is tempted to give him one more crack at six before stepping him up to seven, with the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury firmly in the picture for his next outing. "It's a nice straight track which would suit him and it's just down the road. I will talk to the owner Jabar Abdullah but as he says you can't win if you are not in it."