Josh Pickering, Stellar Monarchs’ No 1, powered to 20 points, but the popular Aussie was unable to help the Edinburgh side skidding to a 50-40 defeat at arch rivals, Glasgow Allied Vehicles Tigers, in the Cab Direct Championship.
The 27-year-old (pictured) won six of his seven races including Heat One in which team-mate, Kye Thomson, came home second for a confidence-boosting 5-1 over Chris Harris and Jack Smith, but Tigers bounced back immediately.
James Pearson and Tom Spencer levelled with a 5-1 in the next race over Dayle Wood and Connor Coles, then ex-Berwick Bandits star, Leon Flint and Matic Ivacic took the next 5-1 to take Tigers clear at 11-7.
Monarchs narrowed the gap to 16-14 by winning Heat Five 4-2, but Jack Smith and Harris clicked in the next for a 5-1 scoreline to move Tigers 21-15 ahead and they never looked back.
A 5-1 in Heat Nine followed by a 4-2 in the next saw the home side 35-25 in front. Monarchs won Heat 11 4-2 but Tigers closed out the meeting by drawing Heats 12, 13 and 14 and winning the final race 4-2 with Harris edging Pickering into second place, the only defeat of the night for the Edinburgh star.
Glasgow: Chris Harris 10, Jack Smith 4, Leon Flint 9, Matic Ivacic 5, Anders Rowe 7, James Pearson 12, Tom Spencer 3.
Edinburgh: Josh Pickering 20, Kye Thomson 8, Lasse Fredriksen 5, Paco Castagna 4, rider replacement for Justin Sedgmen, Dayle Wood 0, Connor Coles 3
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