Complete Team Performance Gains The Spoils At Plymouth

REPORT Sunday 28th June 2026, 9:40am

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Dan Thompson and Kye Thomson were the last heat heroes as Edinburgh Monarchs ran out victors at Plymouth on a long hot night in Devon.

In a match that the Monarchs led for the majority but could never pull away in it all came down to heat 15 with the scores tied and the Monarchs up against ageless Scott Nicholls who had 18 points on the night and had only tasted defeat once up to this point.

On the favoured gates one and three it was the Blue and Gold pair that would hit the front and despite it being a less than comfortable ride for Kye they would hang on to bring it home.

Monarchs captain Paco Castagna saying after, 'It was a fantastic night, I think the perfect word for it was teamwork.

'Everybody did their work and when we needed it there were important heat wins and heat advantages.

'We were talking all night, there were gaps so we had team talks and the message was just we are riding better than them, we are making better starts let's get it to the finish line.

'We did that and that was down to fantastic performances and fantastic teamwork so I am very very proud of the boys and it is a positive to end the weekend as we now have a little bit of time off, yes, very positive.'

As mentioned perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the win for Castagna and his teammates was the compete effort as each of the seven recorded at least one win or paid win starting from the off as Thompson raced to a win in the opening heat.

Mitch Cluff would repeat the feat in the next one and when Castagna and Justin Sedgmen fired from the tapes in heat three the Monarchs had a lead.

Thompson and Jonatan Grahn would expand this to a six point gap after heat five but the home men were quick to hit back.

Tactical substitute Nicholls taking the checkered flag with partner Danny King in third to narrow the deficit.

This week's heat wave coupled with 20c plus temperatures meant conditions were taxing and some long track grades threatened to kill the Monarchs momentum.

Heat 10 looked like it might be a turning point as home opening duo King and Joe Thompson would hit the only maximum of the night for the Gladiators to give them the lead for the first time.

Thomson and Grahn quick to fire back with a 4-2 to even the scores again.

A trio of 3-3 heats would follow with Thomson with the ride of the night to round King for a crucial third in heat 13.

This would set up the all or nothing final race and glory for the Monarchs as their top two sent a large traveling contingent into delirium, a fantastic end to a long busy weekend.