THE CHASE FOR THE BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINS

NEWS Wednesday 23rd April 2014, 10:10pm

by Toby Lerone

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The British Championship has been regaining some of its prestige over the last few years and has become all the more important this year with the highest placed rider in the Final at Wolverhampton on 16th June being awarded the wild card for the British Grand Prix at Cardiff in July. And we have two riders contesting the first semi final at Sheffield on Thursday.

Craig Cook takes his place at number 4 at Owlerton and Derek Sneddon will be at number 5. The top eight qualify for the Final at Wolverhampton and the task has been made a little more difficult for our boys with a late change in the line-up. Home star Leigh Lanham has given up his place and now races at Rye House next Wednesday and coming into replace him is the rider seen by many as the top British rider this season, Scott Nicholls.

The field also includes exclusively Elite League riders Danny King and Chris Harris and riders with Elite League links this year in Edward Kennett, Ashley Morris, Simon Stead, Lewis Kerr, Kyle Newman, Kyle Howarth and Ben Barker.

Five riders are exclusively Premier League riders being Derek, Charles Wright, Stuart Robson, Adam Roynon and Andree Compton.

Craig Cook was racing for Belle Vue in their televised match at Wolverhampton on Tuesday and was a little disappointed in hi performance taking to his Twitter account after the meeting to say, "So sorry to all the aces fans, my sponsors and everyone that supports me. Well done to the aces if only I had came to the party."

Of course from an Edinburgh perspective he has had an excellent start to the season and we all believe that it is only a matter of time before he is reproducing his Premier League form at Elite League level. He certainly proves to us time and exciting time again that he has the ability. Perhaps that will start at Owlerton on Thursday.

Good luck to both our riders on Thursday.