AUSSIE star Troy Corser is the man Neil Hodgson will have to beat in tomorrow's San Marino round of the World Superbike Championship.

That's the view of the four times world champion Carl Fogarty following the first day of qualifying in sweltering conditions at the Misano circuit on the Adriatic coast.

Foggy, who is in Italy working for Ducati and commentating on BBC Television, has been impressed by Hodgson's riding in a season dogged by misfortune.

The latest chapter was a disastrous tyre choice for the first race of the previous round in Germany.

But Fogarty, who was Hodgson's team mate at Ducati in 1997, does not believe that the Burnley rider's team will face similar problems tomorrow.

And this factor is crucial at a circuit that is known to be tough on the tyres.

"It's all about whoever gets the right sort of package at Misano and Corser means to get it sorted out for this one.

"That's exactly what it was like for me two years ago.

"If I could find the right rear tyre I would win the race.

"And it has become clear that Dunlop are going to be strong all year.

"And Corser won both races here last year, so he will be favourite to do so again.

"Ben Bostrom should go better and Neil will also go well," said Fogarty, who is still attempting to form his own team in time to start the 2003 season.

Hodgson's GSE team were unable to fund an extra test session this week, as many of the other teams did. But, with Bostrom's Ducati also on Dunlop tyres, they have tried to learn from his choice. That is likely to be a return to the Japanese compound which has served the team well before it came unstuck on the unusual German surface.

But, while Bostrom finished yesterday's qualifying session second quickest -- a quarter of a second behind series leader Troy Bayliss with Corser in third -- Hodgson struggled down in ninth place, more than a full second slower.

"You have to remember that a lot of the other riders tested for two days here this week. And it shows that they have had so much more track time," he said.

LATEST CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: Troy Bayliss 205pts; Colin Edwards 182pts; Troy Corser 163 pts; Pierfrancesco Chili 143pts; neil Hodgson 131 pts.