FOURS CHAMPIONS

NEWS Thursday 1st October 2015, 11:11pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

These incredible Border Roofing Monarchs have done it again, leading in the early stages of the Premier Fours, then dropping three points behind after the third round of races, before bouncing back to score ten from the last quartet of heats, winning the event for the fourth time.

Team manager John Campbell said "It's an easy night to be team manager because there's nothing to do, it's all down to the riders. They all contributed tonight and Erik's heat 14 ride was especially important. But what other rider would you want in the deciding heat but Craig Cook?"

Captain Cook scored a maximum and won the crucial last heat but even Craig said "Erik won it for us!"

That was because our young German, finding things tough in what was a high standard meeting, had started with three last places, but came out to brilliantly win heat 14 and keep us right in the hunt.

We had started the meeting extremely well. Sedgmen headed the Worralls in heat one, Craig Cook won heat three without looking super-quick, then Sam Masters made a tremendous start from gate four to take a great win over King and Grajczonek.

Cook won heat five under strong pressure from Grajczonek, then Masters and Sedgmen got second places, the latter in an outstanding heat 7 in which he passed and re-passed with Brady Kurtz.

At that point we had 16 with Somerset 11, Ipswich 9 and Newcastle 6. Things didn't go so well from that point on.

Erik ran a last in heat 8 then Sam salvaged a point from heat 9. Now we were just a point ahead of Somerset.

Craig Cook stopped the rot with a win but we then had two successive last places from Riss and Sedgmen. Heat 12 was a hectic race with Sedgy in front at one point but getting out of position and finishing at the rear.

We were now on 20 with the Rebels on 23, Ipswich 19 and Newcastle 12. Sedgy didn't have long to wait to make amends! He rode a superb heat 13 to get the better of Grajczonek and Tungate and lift everyone in the Monarchs' camp.

Even more so in the next one as Erik forced himself ahead off the second bend and fought all the way for a famous 3 points. We were back level with the Rebels!

Sam led heat 15 but was passed by both Aarnio, a surprise winner, and Covatti. But the key factor was that he was in front of Richie Worrall.

So going into the last race we had 27 to Somerset's 26 with Ipswich on 24. Cook was unbeaten, Kurtz was unbeaten and King had dropped just a point.

Off gate four Craig made a reasonable start and stayed really wide on the first turn, round the base of the fence till emerging ahead down the back straight. With the blue and gold jumping he rode it home to secure a truly famous win.

All were great including Rob Branford who as Craig said kept the spirits up by cracking jokes in the pits.

On to the KO Cup Final second leg at Armadale, Friday night.

SCORERS TONIGHT:

Edinburgh 30: Cook 12, Sedgmen 8, Masters 7, Riss 3.

Somerset 27: Kurtz 10, Grajczonek 7, R Worrall 6, Wright 4.

Ipswich 24: King 10, Tungate 7, Covatti 5, Heeps 3.

Newcastle 15: Aarnio 5, Rosen 4, S Worrall 3, Lindgren 2.