Bonus Secured At Oxford

REPORT Wednesday 27th May 2026, 9:31pm

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Edinburgh Monarchs were in it late before running out of steam on a long warm night at Oxford going down 50-40 but coming home with the aggregate bonus point.

In blistering and difficult conditions it was a case of gate and avoid mistakes particularly in the early stages with both sides losing points from good position.

As the night progressed the track would settle though and in the latter heats it was the home men who adapted better leaving team boss John Campbell to say, 'I think we did really well, we had a chance up to the end but heat 14 was the killer.

'At least we got the bonus point so I am very happy with that.'

It was a tight affair throughout with no one able to really stamp their authority on proceedings in the early stages.

The Monarchs started well with heat wins for Mitch Cluff, Justin Sedgmen and Kye Thomson in the first four races.

This meant a two point away lead but the hosts would fire back immediately with heat advantages in each of the next two races to put themselves into the lead.

Extensive watering would then take place with temperatures having exceeded 30 Celsius during the day and the action would liven up from there.

Heat seven would see a ding dong battle for third between Paco Castagna and Darryl Ritchings, the Monarch taking the point.

Jonatan Grahn would then round the field to take heat eight and at this point there was only two in it.

At this stage thoughts were on going for the win not just the bonus point for the Monarchs as the teams shared heat maximums to keep it tight at 37-35 to the Cheetahs as they entered heat 13.

From then on in the hosts would put the hammer down with Sam Masters shutting the door on Kye Thomson to secure a win in heat 13 with partner Anders Rowe in third the gap was extended.

Heat 14 would see the match over as a contest as the home pair of guest Nick Morris who was excellent throughout and former Monarch Dayle Wood roared from the tapes to take a match clinching maximum.

There was still time for probably the race of the night as Masters and Thomson did battle once again in the last this time it would be Thomson who would clinch second on the line.

So, a tough night for all involved with both camps reasonably happy with the win going to the hosts and bonus point heading back north.

Oxford Cheetahs 50: Masters 10, Scott 6, McDiarmid 11+2, Morris 10+1, Rowe 4, Ritchings 2, Wood 7+4

Edinburgh Monarchs 40: Kemp 4+1, Grahn 8+1, Sedgmen 10+1, Castagna 4, Thomson 10, Cluff 3, Loftus 1

Full Result Details