BEST OF TIMES still holds a Group One entry at the end of the month and if he is to live up to those kind of expectations, he really should be winning the Booker Wholesale British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at Salisbury.

Hailing from the family of St Leger winner Nedawi, Best Of Times is bred to stay but there was still plenty of confidence about him ahead of his Newmarket debut in July.

However, he could finish only sixth behind Lexington Times, although the form has worked out incredibly well with the first and third subsequently placed in Pattern company, while of the 11 runners that day, only one is still a maiden.

Best Of Times duly broke his only duck at Goodwood in August, thriving at the step up to a mile to win in fine style by three lengths with a couple of wins coming from those that finished in behind.

Best Of Times clearly has to improve if he is to realise Godolphin's lofty ambitions, but he is the pick in this four-runner event.

Excellent Puck can make amends for a luckless recent run with victory in the Jockey Club Grassroots Middle Distance Series Final at Nottingham.

Shaun Lycett's charge got stuck in behind a couple of weakening runners when primed to challenge at Chester earlier this month, with his momentary loss of momentum costing him dear.

He hardly helped himself in making up the ground as he drifted across the track and he deserves plenty of credit as he was beaten just three- quarters of a length in third at the line.

He also edged across when held in third at Newmarket previously, but Kieren Fallon will make sure he stays on the straight and narrow in this event.