Edinburgh Monarchs
Paco Castagna 14 (5)
Glasgow Tigers
Leon Flint 9+2 (5)
BSN Series
50

Agg: 95

39

Agg: 84

Friday 31st May 2024
Armadale Stadium
Edinburgh Monarchs
Team Manager: Alex Harkess
50
1. Craig Cook 2 3 2 3 R 10 0
2. Lasse Fredriksen 1* R 1* 1* 3 3
3. Kye Thomson 2* 2* 1* 2 7 3
4. Paco Castagna 3 3 2 3 3 14 0
5. Justin Sedgmen 3 3 R 2* 8 1
6. Max James 2 F 2 FD 4 0
7. Connor Coles FD 1 2 1* 4 1
Glasgow Tigers
Team Manager: Cameron Brown
39
1. Chris Harris 3 1 2 R 1 7 0
2. Paul Starke 0 3 3 6 0
3. Leon Flint 1 1* 3 3 1* 9 2
4. James Pearson 0 0 2 2 0
5. Steve Worrall 2 2 3 0 2 9 0
6. Jack Smith 3 1* 0 0 1* 5 2
7. Ace Pijper 1 0 0 1 0
Heat 1
Time: 55.3
1. Craig Cook  
2
2. Lasse Fredriksen  
1
1. Chris Harris  
3
2. Paul Starke  
XO
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
3
Away
3
3
Starke tries to come under Lasse after Monarchs on a 5-1 and goes for a tight gap that causes Lasse to fall. Starke excluded from the rerun.
Heat 2
Time: 57.7
6. Max James  
2
7. Connor Coles  
FD
6. Jack Smith  
3
7. Ace Pijper  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
5
Away
4
7
Smith from the gate with Max keeping him honest.
Heat 3
Time: 56.3
3. Kye Thomson  
2
4. Paco Castagna  
3
3. Leon Flint  
1
4. James Pearson  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
10
Away
1
8
Perfect team riding by the Monarchs from the gate with Paco covering the inside.
Heat 4
Time: 56.6
5. Justin Sedgmen  
3
7. Connor Coles  
1
5. Steve Worrall  
2
7. Ace Pijper  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
14
Away
2
10
Tapes to flag win by Justin with Connor briefly challenging for second. Settle for an easy third.
Heat 5
Time: 55.7
3. Kye Thomson  
2
4. Paco Castagna  
3
1. Chris Harris  
1
2. Paul Starke  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
19
Away
1
11
Superb gate by the Monarchs for an easy 5-1 with Glasgow riders getting in each others way at the back until Harris gets through.
Heat 6
Time: 56.9
1. Craig Cook  
3
2. Lasse Fredriksen  
R
5. Steve Worrall  
2
6. Jack Smith  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
22
Away
3
14
Domino effect into first bend and Lasse takes a heavy fall with his bike following him into the safety fence. Needs first aid on track. All 4 riders back in the rerun. Lasse walks unaided back to the pits. Monarchs on a 4-2 when Lasse's bike packs up on last bend.
Heat 7
Time: 56.6
5. Justin Sedgmen  
3
6. Max James  
F
3. Leon Flint  
1
4. James Pearson  T/S
1. Chris Harris
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
25
Away
3
17
Hard first bend by Justin sees him take the lead which he extends by the finish.
Heat 8
Time: 58.6
2. Lasse Fredriksen  
1
7. Connor Coles  
2
2. Paul Starke  
3
7. Ace Pijper  
6. Jack Smith
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
28
Away
3
20
Fast start by Connor with Lasse at the back. Starke does a wide sweep on 4th bend to take the lead with Lasse fighting his way through to third.
Heat 9
Time: 58.6
3. Kye Thomson  
1
4. Paco Castagna  
2
5. Steve Worrall  
3
6. Jack Smith  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
31
Away
3
23
Tapes to flag win by Worrall.
Heat 10
Time: 57.6
1. Craig Cook  
2
2. Lasse Fredriksen  
1
3. Leon Flint  
3
4. James Pearson  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
34
Away
3
26
Impressive win by Flint after a good gate and hard first bend.
Heat 11
Time: 59.0
5. Justin Sedgmen  
R
6. Max James  
2
1. Chris Harris  
R
2. Paul Starke  
3
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
36
Away
3
29
Eventful heat. Harris retires on start line and Justin sheds a chain while leading.
Heat 12
Time: 58.4
3. Kye Thomson  
2
7. Connor Coles  
1
3. Leon Flint  
3
6. Jack Smith  
7. Ace Pijper
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
39
Away
3
32
Hard first bend by Flint secures the win with a brave outside pass. Monarchs comfortable in minor places.
Heat 13
Time: 57.4
1. Craig Cook  
3
5. Justin Sedgmen  
2
1. Chris Harris  
1
5. Steve Worrall  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
44
Away
1
33
Race of the night! Justin made gate with Cookie at the back who then made a smart inside pass of both Tigers on 4th bend.
Heat 14
Time: 58.5
4. Paco Castagna  
3
6. Max James  
FD
4. James Pearson  
2
7. Ace Pijper  
6. Jack Smith
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
47
Away
3
36
Max takes a heavy fall after high-siding going in 4th bend of 1st lap. Excluded from the rerun. Paco gates last but makes a powerful burst round the first bend and overtakes both Tigers down the back straight. Superb! Extends his lead by the finish.
Heat 15
Time: 58.1
1. Craig Cook  
R
4. Paco Castagna  
3
5. Steve Worrall  
2
3. Leon Flint  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
50
Away
3
39
Superb first bend from Paco sees him come under both Tigers to take the lead and command the race from there. Cookie retired with bike problems on 1st lap.

The Stellar Monarchs really rose to the occasion tonight with their best performance of the season, clinching victory and qualification for the BSN Series semi as early as heat 13. The whole team contributed well but especially notable was a superb 14 points by Paco Castagna in his most effective match for the club.

It had been such a turnaround for both team and captain after some disappointing results. Castagna said afterwards "I'm amazed by how difficult the last few weeks were for me and the team. Tonight I'm really, really impressed by everyone, we've got to thank Cookie for his hard work, and everyone did a massive job. Even though Lasse was injured half way through the meeting he kept going. We all did our job and got a win against Glasgow which is always satisfying."

Injured number one Josh Pickering was there to watch and spent the night in amongst the team keeping them going.

Both Justin Sedgmen and Craig Cook had engine failures when in front, and unlucky Lasse Fredriksen also lost a point to a machine failure, otherwise the margin might have been greater.

There was a fierce determination about the Monarchs tonight, and that certainly includes Craig Cook who made some really classy moves. He started right away in heat 1, cutting through from fourth to first down the back straight before Paul Starke brought down Lasse Fredriksen (yes always Lasse) and caused a stoppage.

Chris Harris jetted off to win the rerun, and there was a stoppage in heat 2 as well. Max James led and Connor Coles attempted an outside pass on Jack Smith only to come down with Smith also falling. Coles got the blame and Tigers took the lead with a 4-2.

But then, things changed! How were our unpredictable middle pair going to do tonight? We soon knew, as Kye and Paco raced away for a huge 5-1 over Leon Flint. Justin Sedgmen followed up with a fast start and solid ride, backed by Coles in third, and then did Kye and Paco not do the trick again? A 5-1 over Chris Harris no less, by a fair margin.

That should have been extended in the next race, even though Lasse took a very heavy first bend fall at the first attempt. He was back up for the rerun won by Cook, with Lasse so unluckily stopping on the last corner when in third.

Sedgmen kept his run going with another tapes to flag win in heat 7 before an interesting heat 8 grabbed the attention.

Connor Coles made the start but Starke pulled off an excellent wide sweep to go to the front. Fredriksen, covered in mud from his tumbles and no doubt hurting, eventually burst past Smith into third to keep us 8 ahead.

Steve Worrall used the wide run off the second bend to take the first points off Thomson-Castagna in heat 9, and Leon Flint did likewise beating Cook in the next one. It was still up for grabs.

No luck for Sedgy in heat 11 as he shed a chain while leading. Harris had already stopped at the gate so Starke got a fortunate win over Max James. Flint took a second win in heat 12 and the interest here was in watching Coles hold off an early challenge from Pijper.

So 7 up going in to heat 13. Nothing settled yet. However Sedgmen yet again made the start, with his partner at the back, but with the move of the match Craig Cook rode the line to pass both Harris and Worrall, pulling away for a match-winning 5-1.

We still had two overtaking exhibitions by Paco Castagna in heat 14, first on the outside off bend two (after which Max James fell heavily in third), then up the inside as he missed the start again.

That earned Paco a heat 15 ride. Initially Cook made another brilliant move to the front round the first corner but his machine then died as Worrall and Flint went ahead. However Castagna was again not to be denied as he burst to the front to complete a great personal performance.

Stellar Monarchs are steeling themselves for a massive Scottish derby clash this Friday at Armadale Stadium with a place in the BSN Series Semi Finals on the line.

The clash comes hot on the heels of a hard-fought away match at Oxford. For 12 heats Monarchs managed to remain competitive, restricting their hosts' lead to just six points.

The disaster struck! A trio of straight 5-1 reversals to complete the evening was not the conclusion anyone was looking for.

The 36-54 final scoreline was probably an unfair indication of the meeting as a whole although even our big guns, Justin Sedgmen and guest Craig Cook were powerless to rescue the situation as heats 13 and 15 arrived.

So often a fruitful area of the programme for us to do some serious scoring when it matters, our top two struggled as Oxford powered ahead from the more fruitful gate positions.

Focussing on the positives for a second, although only three Monarchs - Sedgy, Cookie and Kye Thomson - recorded a heat win on the night, they did manage it on seven occasions over the first twelve heats, which is pretty good going by any standards.

This Friday the spotlight switches to the BSN Series and that much-anticipated qualification showdown with old rivals, the Glasgow Tigers, at Armadale.

After the thrilling golden heat victory at Ashfield in the first leg, any win at all will see the Monarchs through to the semi-finals and, with Craig Cook once again deputising for Josh Pickering, the team is ready for a great contest.

Of course, nothing whatsoever will be taken for granted against this solid looking Tigers' team who have now drafted in former rider Jack Smith as the permanent replacement for the suspended Lee Complin.

Like Edinburgh, Glasgow's early season form has been patchy. They too exited the Knockout Cup at the first time of asking though they have broken their Championship duck already.

So, Friday's derby clash would appear to be between two teams with bags of potential who each have a large point to prove.

Who will blink first?