The Stellar Monarchs finally lost their first home Championship match to the Champions Poole, after a match in which the Armadale side suffered some misfortune and threw some points away. It was a match in which they looked potential winners for much of the night, once again largely due to Victor Palovaara, though when they arrived at heat 15 two points behind with the Swede's rides all used up the writing was definitely on the wall.

The Stellar Monarchs open their Championship campaign this Friday at Armadale and the fixture list pits them against last year's title winners the Poole Pirates! Poole have indeed won the Championship in three of the last four seasons.