Our top two lookimg to team ride Image Credit: Ron MacNeill

Up for the Pairs tonight

NEWS Friday 20th July 2018, 8:51am

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

All roads lead to Somerset this evening as the Staggs Bar Monarchs look for glory in the Championship Pairs.

As always this is the traditional precursor to the Cardiff GP weekend and actually for many this meeting is the highlight.

We have a mixed history in the Pairs but the last few years have been good ones in the event for us with Sam Masters and Max Fricke taking glory back in 2014, we have also reached the final and semi final since.

As always a tough looking field is in place with all teams capable of at least playing the spoiler even if not winning it all.

For the Monarchs rather unusually we will go into the meeting potentially as one of the favorites with our pair of Ricky Wells and Erik Riss both on fine form.

Ricky currently sits towards the top of the Championship averages and after missing out on appearing in the Fours he will look to show everyone what he is capable of in a field of this calibre.

Erik on the other hand will look to cement his burgeoning reputation after going unbeaten in that same fours meeting and on a track he is a noted performer on he will be sure to excite.

The Monarchs are one of numerous strong looking pairings though with Lakeside with Morris and Lawson, Peterborough (Nicholls & Palm Toft), Sheffield (Howarth & Wright) and Workington (Klindt & Proctor) looking equally strong.

It could also be said that if things go right then anyone of the rest could cause an upset and on current form Scunthorpe and Ipswich are seen as dark horses the Scorpions with Josh Auty and former Rebel Jake Allen will not be an easy beat and any team with Rory Schlein in it will always be in the mix, not to mention Nico Covatti who showed us what he is capable of at Armadale just last week.

As mentioned though no one can be discounted Glasgow will look for Chris Harris to step up and being backed by one of the many former Rebels in the field Paul Starke they are an outside shot.

Berwick have all the experience in the world with Kevin Doolan and Aaron Summers although with no disrespect they may not quite have the firepower in this calibre of field.

The same could be said of Redcar who at the very least you would expect to be one of the most exciting teams on show as Ben Barker and Thomas Jorgensen look to give a positive spin to a difficult season so far.

So as you can see an exciting looking field on one of the most exciting tracks in the country a great night surely lies ahead.

Can our boys do it, keep an eye on Monarchs social media to find out