BRITAIN'S top junior Robert Tobin is in the mood to lower his 400 metres personal best at the South of England Under-20 Championships at Watford this weekend.
But he admits that to bring down last season's outdoor mark of 47.1 seconds, he will need to get his tactics spot on.
An exciting raw talent, the Hampshire 18-year-old is having his rough edges smoothed away by former world indoor record holder Todd Bennett, who now coaches him in Southampton.
It's a tough learning curve for the Alton College student who has made it to number one in the junior ranks on natural ability alone, but needs to polish up on the finer points of the event to climb to the next level.
Reflecting on last Saturday's run at Loughborough, where he finished third for Great Britain juniors in the Aqua-Pura International in 47.42 seconds, Tobin reflected: "I really suffered down the home straight.
"I put in a kick at 150 metres, which is what I'm used to doing, but I can't afford to do that any more.
"Since I started training with Todd, I'm going through the first 200 metres so much quicker now."
Tobin, who also anchored GB Juniors to third in the 4x400m relay at Loughbor-ough, could have a chance of selection for the Common-wealth Games relay squad if he lengthens the giant strides he made last year.
Number one target for the Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC youngster remains the World Junior Championships in Jamaica, which run from July 16 to 21, but it has crossed Tobin's mind that he could have an outside shout of involvement in Manches-ter later that month.
He said: "It would be tough to do both because they're so close together, but it is possible. My main target at the Commonwealth Trials will be to get to the final."
Another of the area's Com-monwealth prospects, Angus Maclean, had a terrible time of it at Loughborough.
The 21-year-old 1,500 metres man never got to grips with the race and finished an out of sorts eighth for England in 3.51.15.
Baffled coach Rod Lock said: "I've never seen him run that badly in six years.
"We couldn't explain what happened. We've looked at his training diary and there was nothing obviously wrong there, but he didn't have the energy to stay with the field.
"Everyone's entitled to a bad race and we've got to write it off as just one of those days. I still think he's in with a good chance in the Commonwealth Trials."
Maclean is concentrating on training this weekend rather than competing in the Inter-Counties Championships at Bedford. His next scheduled race is the Irish Milers' Club 1500m in Dublin on June 1.
Isle of Wight hammer hope Andy Frost put in a series of 60m-plus throws to finish fifth at Loughborough for British Universities - his best effort being his 63.86 opener.
Inseparable Island twins Bryony and Kathryn Frost were third and fourth respectively in the women's 2,000m steeplechase, while Team Solent's Ashley Swain guested in the pole vault and cleared 4.81m for third spot.
Andover-based Emma Davies, a semi-finalist for Wales in the last Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, finished back in fifth in the 800m in 2.07.70.
weekend fixtures
Saturday, May 25
CAU INTER-COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIPS
Bedford (until May 26)
SOUTH OF ENGLAND UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watford (until May 26)
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