Thrilling win at Oxford

The Stellar Monarchs with their new team lineup pulled off an excellent victory in a tough match at Oxford, having taken a 9-point lead early on when the track was decidedly tricky, then holding out as the Cheetahs came back with a well-worked shared last race from Victor Palovaara and Kye Thomson.

Team captain Paco Castagna was very happy and upbeat after the last heat 3-3 had secured the match points plus the bonus. "We needed that! We thought before the meeting we could win, and to be honest the track was very challenging early on for us, but I think it was also for them.

"We are a good team, we've got good energy and we have to keep doing this for the rest of the season. We've got a new team now and it's the first meeting with all seven of us together."

Team manager John Campbell explained his choices for heat 15. "It became very, very tense at the end. I think Victor did well at number one, and Kye was the only one that really got going round the outside. He said that had he made starts he would have won all his races by miles! He never makes the start, but he was building up such momentum and that is why he was the man for heat 15. Gate four was atrocious so we needed someone who could pass, and Kye was the only rider who was going to do that."

Monarchs went in to that vital last race a point ahead, and obviously Sam Masters off gate one was a strong favourite to win the heat, but Victor got into second with Kye having to work his way past the Cheetahs' talented Aussie Mitch McDiarmid to secure the required 3-3. Every point Kye got was from the back.

Monarchs had started strongly with Palovaara heading Masters in the opener and Kye Thomson third. Cheetah's reserves levelled then we picked up a 5-0 in a curious heat 3. Firstly McDiarmid was excluded after knocking Paco into the fence on the opening corners, then Jordan Jenkins actually fell twice in the rerun, during which our pair of Sedgmen and Castagna thought they saw the red lights and slowed right down.

Fortunately the pits crew alerted them and they got going again. We took another advantage in heat 5 from our effective opening pair and when Kye backed up Jonatan for a heat 8 5-1 we led 28-19 at that point. With memories of Plymouth we took nothing for granted.

Indeed we lost maximum advantages in the next two heats so after 10 races we were just a point clear! Many must have expected a home win at that point but an excellent Sedgmen ride backing Grahn brought our third 5-point race in heat 12. We lost a maximum in heat 13 so needed to share the last two races.

We were briefly on a 5-1 in heat 14, with Paco ahead, and he gained an excellent captain's win. But Jonatan was caught by the two young Cheetahs' Aussies. So that left just that one point lead – which proved to be enough!

Everyone in the side can be happy with their contribution, and that certainly includes 16 year old Jordy Loftus making his debut at no. 7. As John Campbell said "He'll probably not realise he has done fine – but he has!"