Winning start in the Jubilee League

In the first of their Jubilee League meetings tonight the WTF Monarchs got off to an essential winning start in an entertaining meeting, winning 51-39.

Alex Harkess said "I was very pleased with how the team performed tonight. With the weather threatening track preparation was difficult and yet it proved to be a good racing surface. Staff and riders deserve all the more praise for coming up with such eventful and enjoyable racing."

Berwick are really a far better team than their position in the Championship table suggests, especially with Danish prospect Knudsen at reserve, so the Monarchs had to turn in one of their best and most solid performances of the season to get the result. To win this short mini-league a team will surely have to win both their home matches and pick up something on their travels.

Monarchs moved ahead from the start with an efficient 4-2 in heat 1, and held the advantage in spite of a controversial heat 2. In this the Bandits gated but Jacob Hook passed Nathan Stoneman as they moved into lap two. Stoneman then fell, but remarkably the ref adjudged Hook to have caused this. It seemed a very harsh verdict on Monarchs' young Aussie.

However in the rerun James Sarjeant was allowed to get away with an anticipated start, shooting off as soon as the tapes started to rise.

It usually takes the Thomson-Castagna pairing a few rides to get going but not tonight – they snapped straight into gear with a big 5-1 in heat 3.

This was surprisingly reversed right away when James Sarjeant had a machine problem going into the first corner of heat 4, straightening him and producing a domino effect which left Josh Pickering floundering up against the fence. He was unable to make up the lost ground and registered disapproval that the ref had not ordered a rerun.

Castagna and Thomson outgated Harris in heat 5 but Harris caught and passed Thomson, and made ground on Castagna before settling for second.

Heat 7 was a good one as Pickering gated poorly again. Hook cut between the fast gating Bandits and almost took the lead, before Pickering started building up momentum and swept round everyone for a great win.

Knudsen got a race win in heat 8 from Fredriksen, then Castagna dropped his first point in heat 9 when Flint passed him to take second behind Thomson. Heat 10 was another excellent race with all four in contention before Masters sweot round everyone Pickering-style and tac sub Harris got the better of Fredriksen.

Harris was quickly out again and involved in another excellent heat with Pickering, passing and re-passing with the home man winning. Kye Thomson took heat 12 from Knudsen and there was a better ride from Sarjeant after a couple of falls.

Heat 13 was another memorable one with Harris this time in front while Sam Masters tried to maintain his unbeaten record as if his life depended on it. He used every line on the track with Harris covering brilliantly, until a last lunge up the inside by Masters took him very close at the line. Those near the finish line swore Masters did win, but the ref gave it to Bomber.

A 5-1 from Castagna and Hook ensured that Bandits would not get a consolation point, and it was good to see Hook getting the paid win his riding deserved. The amazing Harris made another start in heat 15 and this time there was no controversy over the verdict.

All of the home riders can be happy with their performances, Hook and Fredriksen deserving more than they got for some tenacious riding. The unpredictable Thomson-Castagna pair came good, and only James Sarjeant seemed to be struggling a bit for form.

For Bandits, Chris Harris supplied a lot of the entertainment but Flint and Knudsen were also very good and Stoneman deserves a mention for certainly not being overawed. The other three in the side (all ex-Monarchs) were rather disappointing although Pijper and Wells were certainly involved in the action.

Things could well be different at Berwick tomorrow.

Jubilee League Starts With Bandits

Attention turns away from the league for the next couple of weeks for the What the Fork Monarchs as they begin their Jubilee League campaign on Friday night with a visit from the Berwick Bandits.

This competition a new introduction this year although it has similar traits to that of the old league cup as a mini group consisting of the Monarchs, Bandits and Glasgow all will battle to be top and earn the right to head for the title in a one-off final at Sheffield with the winners of the Northern and Southern groups.

One match has been raced so far with the Tigers running out big winners at Ashfield over a battered and bruised Bandits last Friday.

Thankfully it appears that the Bandits riders involved in those spills last week while still feeling the effects are all fit to ride.

Chris Harris has been an inspired signing for the Borders men this year giving them the true number one they have perhaps been lacking for the last few years. Backing Harris is a mixture of youth and experience (and plenty of Armadale laps as well) Theo Pijper and Ricky Wells are off course both multi year Monarchs while Leon Flint will come into the meeting on a high after being crowned British Under 19 Champ on Thursday night.

Jye Etheridge also returns to the fold after missing last weekend after a knock at Oxford.

At the bottom end all eyes may well be on new Danish recruit Jonas Knudsen who has been very impressive everywhere he has gone so far, that is not to say that reserve partner Nathan Stoneman can be discounted as well with Stoneman already having a National League maximum to his name at Armadale this season.

So, it is a full Berwick 1-7 that heads for the Dale and one that team boss Gary Flint thinks is stronger than the side that it took a heat 15 maximum from Sam Masters and Josh Pickering to stop from getting a league point on their last visit back at the start of the season.

For the Monarchs it also is a full line-up that takes to track, Masters still suffering from a broken metatarsal but determined to ride through the pain.

Josh Pickering also had an off this week while guesting for Birmingham but was able to carry on and help the Brummies overturn an early deficit to defeat Oxford, so he rides on also.

The rest of the line-up all have reasons for optimism and will look for a big performance as while the pressure of league points is off there is still a final to race for and a big home win will give the Monarchs a platform to build on.

Tickets are still available from the official website with the option to pay at the gate available also. For those that can't make it along then the match will be live streamed also with EM:TV the place to be to catch the action.

Friday night is speedway night…. See you there!