GREAT NIGHT'S RACING

REPORT Friday 16th August 2013, 11:11pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs took all three points against a very dangerous Somerset Rebels team, a tremendous team performance to win 49-41 and retain top spot in the Premier League table, now by a four-point margin over Somerset.

DDS Monarch of the Match was reserve guest Josh Bates who had two race wins in his 7-point score, and what a bonus that was – his first win in heat 11 was the first defeat of the night for Rebels' no. 1 Jason Doyle!

The Somerset heat leaders lived up to their billing as the best trio in the league with a combined 33 points, but the solidity of the Monarchs won the day. Doyle was quick, Nick Morris is very much an Armadale specialist with his tight turning ability, and Josh Grajczonek had one of his best Armadale meetings winning his last two heats.

But there wasn't enough backup in spite of the obvious efforts of the other Rebels. They led for two heats, Monarchs took over in a tremendous heat 3 with a Pijper/Tabaka 5-1 and they never lost the lead.

Monarchs solidity saw them ease into an 8-point lead by heat 8, and hold that to heat 13. Rebels provided four out of five race winners from heat 9 to heat 13 – the exception being a victory for Josh Bates against Jason Doyle in heat11! Yes that's correct, Doyle's first defeat of the night was by Monarchs' guest reserve.

Craig Cook had a curious night, baulked a couple of times round the first corner, and after a third place in heat 10, he lost a 5-1 in heat 13 to the exceptional Doyle – Nick Morris pairing.

This brought Rebels to within four points with just two heats remaining. In heat 14 Monarchs were left with the dilemma of leaving young Bates in the heat alongside Tabaka, or bringing in the faster gating team captain Derek Sneddon. With the full backing of the skipper, Alex Harkess decided to leave Bates in place – and he pulled off another win, brilliantly backed by Tabaka, against Alex Davies.

What a roar the youngster got for both his victories. Monarchs were now 8 points ahead, victors in the match, but they needed to share the final heat to take all three points. Somerset had their heat 13 5-1 pair of Doyle and Morris, against Cook and Pijper.

Craig had been subdued by his standards, with two third places, but what a ride he produced here to race round the outside of Doyle on the third/fourth corner of the opening lap, squeezing through a tiny gap on the home straight and powering spectacularly home for a victory which kept the points at Armadale.

Comfortably the best meeting of the season against a very competitive visiting team.

Full Result Details