Aussie racer Justin Sedgmen powered to 12 points to top score for Edinburgh Monarchs who got off to a winning start in their Cab Direct Championship campaign with a 49-41 win over a tenacious Workington side at Armadale.
They earned the valuable win despite No 1, Dan Thompson, who was replaced by guest rider, Nick Morris, who gave a committed performance and produced some of the most exciting moments of the match.
Comets were minus ex-Monarchs rider, Craig Cook, but his rider replacement rides scored 11 from four heats, with the trio of remaining Comets’ big guns, Jeppesen, Batchelor and Zischke, being well-juggled by manager James Denham.
Alex Harkess, Monarchs’ team manager, admitted: “It got a bit tight in the end after we had been fairly comfortable at the start. They had riders who gated very well and made life difficult for us.
“With rider replacement and tactical substitute, they always seemed to have at least one strong rider in the heat.”
Heat 13 in the 15-race meeting was crucial because Comets were on a 5-1 but Morris and Kye Thomson fought hard to turn it into a 3-3. comfortably beating Castagna in the rerun.
It was 44-40 going into the last heat, but Sedgmen (pictured) hit the front from the tapes, and a superb sweep round everyone by Thomson, set up a march to victory by the home pair.
Edinburgh Monarchs (49): Nick Morris (guest) 8+1, Jonatan Grahn 5+1, Justin Sedgmen 12+1, Paco Castagna 5+2, Kye Thomson 11+1, Mitch Cluff 3+0, Jordy Loftus 5+1
Workington Comets (41): Jonas Jeppesen 11+0, Niklas Holm Jakobsen 1+1, Craig Cook 0+0, Tate Zischke 9+0, Troy Batchelor 14+1, Darryl Ritchings 6+2, Ryan Ingram 0+0
