Classic encounter between two of the top teams in the country, Poole looking to take the points in this National League meeting against their rivals from Oxford. Both side were a little under strength, Horspath were missing ex World Champion Lukas Nowacki, whilst the Comets missed Multiple British Champion Gavin Wheeler and Junior World Champion Kenzie Bennett. Some great racing was had in front of a decent crowd that braved the 28 degree heat.
[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] and horse path hammers from Oxford. Let’s introduce the visiting team to you. And their captain for today is their number five rider, a former British champion, Zack Pay. And going down the team, we’ve got one of the contract riders. He’s actually Southampton rider, but in the National League, he’s very much part of the Hummers, and that’s Liam Panka. And here will be joined uh number two by Roy Jeffrey. Rider number three will be Mark Carmichael and four, Mark Miller. At number six, we got John Bennett and number seven, George Hley. [Music] A pretty tough looking lineup followed by [Music] a for the last. Okay, going down the comments lineup for today’s match. The captain leading the team today, riding at number three, Matt. And the rest of the team lines up from number one, Ed Langu. His partner at two is Teddy Perpets. Riding at number four, Tom Colling. Number five is Oliver Saunders. Six, we’ve got Jamie Randall. Number seven, Greg Lucoski. And number eight is Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Realistically coming to join him there. And I’ll just um put our usual requests in for the people who are nearest to the starting game. Just for the few vital seconds when the referee has put the riders under starters or if you’ve got remain as required as possible once the tape to go up the very opposite. Make as much noise and support your team as you would like. Here we go for the very first race of this National League encounter. We have the Bull Comets at home against the horse bath hammers from Oxford. And looking across the line if for heat one we have Fose Langu in the blue of P in the blue crash helmet. Uh on gate two we have Will Jeffrey from Horse Path. Gate three the very young Teddy Curtis but he really does fly around this circuit. And off gate four we have Leon Pankath. And Leon obviously is a Southampton rider and as this is a National League match then he will be uh be riding for horse path in this one off of gate four. Lean obviously the 2023 junior British champion. Um so he is lightning out the start and will be looking to to get across Teddy Curtis and certainly push for Langu into the first corner. So here we go. Heat one of this National League encounter on their way and it is Will Jeffrey coming across for O Lango. The referee’s blown his whistle and that will be a rerun and we’ll do it all again for heat one of the restart. So Langu gate one, little Jeffy gate two, Teddy Curtis gate three and Leon Pinkath gate four. We’ll wait and there’s a little bit of movement at the start there. Look like Teddy Curt is a little bit of a twitch. It is a very very warm day today and there is quite a strong breeze. The tapes are obviously moving while under starters orders. Any slight distraction will cause a problem. Here we go again. And away. And Jeffy this time doesn’t make the start. Is Peng right round from gate four. There’s a little bit of confusion with between Rose Langu and Will Jeffy, but they are all in line now. It is Leon Punker. He’s away. He’s got at least six, seven bike lengths from Rose Langu. Will Jeffrey in third place and Teddy Curtis chasing hard at the back. That’s two laps gone. This one’s pretty much over for the four points. Leon Pinker from Fors Path. He will take the win unless he makes a silly mistake. He’s just easing off. Rose Lango still really moving quite quickly, but Jeffrey is not going to take second place. That is a 64 two horsepower, meaning they have a two points lead going into heat two. On to heat two. This time the horse bath riders will be lining up on gates one and three. On gate one, we have Mark Carmichael. He has made six British senior finals in his career, so he’s uh one to watch out for. On gate two for Paul is Tom Collie. On gate three is George Horley. He uh way back in 2010, he was actually the under 10 champion. So, uh, expect some fireworks from George on gate three and tall captain Matthew Milild is on gate four. So, path leading by two points. They have the inside gates. This is going to be a tough test for the Comets. Mark Carmarkle very very fast starter. George Horley will be putting himself about Tom Colling now he is a veteran. Uh so he is uh in the over 40s category, but he is no slouch. And Matt Milon certainly is probably one of the fittest riders. Keep pace and they’re away. And it is Carmichael, the fasting. Carmichael leads from gate one. Colling slips into second. He’s going to challenge up the inside. George Hy in third. Already George Hy looking behind him to keep the pool captain behind. That is dangerous tactics to be uh trying to keep Matt Milen behind him because he is one to watch. He’s very very quick, very very good around this pool circuit and that is where the focus is. Tom Colling still in second place with Mark Carmichael now playing the tactics against Tom Collin. I’m looking behind and it’s Milen who has overtaken George Horsesley. So he’s into se into third place. So, it’s going to be Carmichael over the line, Colling second, Milton third, Pauly fourth. That’s a good ride by the pool captain. Excellent stuff and a handshake from Mark Carmichael. He was definitely in control of heat number two. On to heat number three with Horse leading by 11 points to nine. And they are off gates two and four. So they have the disadvantage in this race for the Comets. On the inside, very distinct with his black crash helmet and the long flowing locks. There’s Jamie Randall. He’s off gate one, a former British champion from horseepath, Zack Payne on gate two. Certainly the hard charging Ollie Saunders off of gate three from Paul and Sha Bennett gate four for Horse Path. Horse path leading by two points under starters orders and they’re away and it is Zack Payne and he’s come across Jamie Randall. Oliver Saunders is now into third place with Shawn Bennett coming around the outside but Oliver Saers secures the third place. Jamie Randall now chasing hard after Zack Payne. Zack Payne is certainly a person that is going to be difficult to pass. Jamie really is very very quick around this pool circuit. He makes a little bit of a slip there. So he’s going to now settle for second. Oliver Saunders is third. Shan Bennett at the back. This is going to be four points for Zack Payne, three for Jamie Randall, two for Oliver Saers, one for Sha Bennett. That is a five all. And that makes the scores 14 to pull and 16 for the visitors. On to heat four. The very strong pairing of Leon Pankath and Will Jeffrey line up on gates one and three. and the equally strong pairing of Tom Colling and Matt Milon from pool line up on gates 204. Horse path have a slender two-point lead before this race, but the favorable gates are in favor of the horse path duo Heat four. This is quite a crucial race. Liam Pena certainly should be the favorite. He is the fast starting rider off of gate one. Easily identifiable by that white crash helmet. On gate two, the bespectled Tom Colling is ready. Gate three, Will Jeffrey. And gate for Matt Milon. away. It is Leon Panka easily into gate one, but Tom Colling coming up the inside, slotting into second. Will Jeffy in third, Matt Milon fourth. Colling is really driving hard. Driving hard. And Milild comes underneath. Will Jeffrey pushes him to the outside of the circuit and makes the pass. Excellent riding by Matt Milon, but it’s still Leon Penath in the lead. Tom Colling really giving him a bit of a tough time. Few bit of argu but it’s Penath now away. Colling chasing hard a little bit of a slip. He’s going to stay in second place but it’s a win for Liam Panka and that is another five all and that leave the scores at 19 horse path 21. Still only a couple of points in it. As we go into the next race on to heat five, we have a reserve change. The rider at number seven in the program for Paul Comets is Greg Glowski in the yellow crash helmet. He comes in as a replacement for Jamie Randall. We have another replacement. George Horsley comes in for Mark Bowler. and he’s on gate four. So we’ve got Oliver Saunders off to gate one. Mark Carmichle, gate two, fool’s Polish superstar Greg Lowski has come in and he’s on gate three. George Horley off gate four. Horse path leading by two points. Pool off of the inside gates which is certainly an advantage. Oliver Saunders needs to uh get out the start here because Mark Carmichael on gate two from horse path certainly is a very very quick starter wait and it is Carmichael and Kovski comes across Carmichael. There’s a bit of contact but it is Carmichael into the lead. Kovski second, Oliver’s third. George Horses at the back. And now this is where the Polish star will try to make a pass on the Welsh representative from Horse Path up the inside, but it is still Mark Carmichael who is commanding the lead. Tends to slow it down a little bit. He’s looking for Rikovski. Ola is in third. This is going to be another five all. And that’s the way it’s going to finish. It’s going to be Carmichael Gosski as an H. He makes a last pitch challenge, but comes to grief on turn four. And that was yet again another five all which makes the progressive scores pool 24 and horse path 26. On to heat six. Horse path on gates one and three. Zack Payne off of gate one, Shan Benner off gate two. Teddy curses from pool on gate two and Fose Langu gate four. Zack Payne, former British champion. He’s going to be tough to beat. And Sha Bennett obviously he’s a pretty quick starter as well. So this is going to be crucial for the Comets and it’s Payne. And Sha Bennett has made a good start. Langu the outside and this is going to be horsepower into first and second. Teddy Curtis putting his weight about but it is Sha Bennett. He is away and this is a 73 as it stands for horse path hammers and this is going to be very good. Langine now into third. They’re both chasing hard of the Comets, but Paul are going to struggle to make this a heat advantage to anybody else apart from horseback. They are in first and second, Bennett first. Zack Payne protecting him at the back. And this is not good for the Comets. This is going to be a 73. David Curtis in third and Fros Langu at the back. The scores now are Horse Bath taking it a six-point lead. That leaves them on 33 and the pool are on 27. And all of a sudden, this match starts to slip away from the Comets. And uh fortunately in heat number seven, Paul’s duo of Greg Lovski and Ollie Saunders should see them well. They’re off the inside gates, but obviously Leon Pankath off of gate two. Certainly a hard charger and uh Will Jeffrey will certainly be in the mix. So here we go for heat seven. No wait. And there is a little bit of movement. Leon thinker seemed to jump a little bit before the start. Let’s see what the referee’s decision is. Obviously there is quite a bit of wind. A little bit of noise may have put Leon Pankath off, but he’s got away with that one. He’s back on gate two. So here you go. Heat seven. Graovski has made the start and will Jeffy’s got around Oliver Saunders and that’s a into a five all for horseback from third and he’s looking out at Oliver Saunders although Oliver Saunders certainly looking for a change of lines there in first place Jeffy second third and Ola’s fourth and this is going to go into the last laps is going to get called out And Jeffy’s up the inside and he pushes him wide and into second place goes Panker. This is going to be 73. This is disaster for the Comets. Absolute disaster. Good riding by Roy Jeffrey. But that is a 73 to Horse Path which gives them a 10-point lead on 30 and Horse Path now on 40 points. I have to say that’s very very rare you see Greg Glacovski get caught out uh on his home track. Uh that’s quite disappointing. Um but that is a massive 10 points lead going into heat eight and Mark Bowler twice British champion comes in for his first ride of the afternoon on gate number one. his partner Mark Carmichael on gate three and he’s up against the very very young pairing of Rose Langu and Teddy Curtis for Paul are 10 points down this is not a good situation for the Comets and they have to get something out of this one. There we go. It’s B and for Lango. What a start by Fros Lango. He’s got over the twice British champion in second place for Bola. Third place is Carmichael. This will be the first time he’s beaten today and he’s just going to sit the young Teddy Curtis on his right shoulder. Uh, and that’ll be the end of that really. Hopefully Teddy will be able to get right up behind him, but Carichel is sitting for him. This is going to be difficult for Teddy Curtis. Meanwhile, Frozen Langu is got the better of Mark Bow who’s slotted into second place. Teddy Curtis is really giving it a go. You have to admire the lad. It’s hard. But this is going to be a five all for Horse Path. A drawn heat. Still 10 points. The difference horse path now leading with the scores at 45 to Horse Path. 35 to Comets. We go for heat number nine, the one before the interval. and fool’s pretty successful pairing of Tom Colling and Matt Milon are out on gates one and three in this one and they are up against Zack Payne and Sha Bennett and those two have been quite successful. So if Paul need to pull some points back, it’s going to be in this one. They’re off the favored inside gates. So they desperately need something before the interval. Heat n away. Tom Colling holds his gate. Milan getting caught by Zack Payne and the referee calls a rerun. Bit of an untidy first corner. Restart of heat number nine. Zack being very very clever off the first corner holding Matt Milon keeping him on his right shoulder so Shan Bennett could make the pass and slot into second place. Tom Colling good out the gate in the first one. Let’s see what happens away and Coling holds his gate again and Milan’s on the deck this time and Sean Bennett is right over his bike. And a little bit of a hobble for the pool captain. He’s obviously gone down on his hip or something like that. And they are. These crashes are quite painful. Hopefully he’ll be up and ready for the rerun. Run of heat nine. Have another go. This is the second restart. Hing has held his gate for the first two times. Hopefully for a third away and it is Milild not getting caught out this time. Pay into second. Bennett fourth and Tom Colling slowing the race up just making Zack Payne think about what’s going on. Milan into third. He’s got the pace. Bennett is up behind him and now Mily sits for Bennett. Payne in second. Colling is away and Milton now turns up the heat. Leaves Bennett behind and he will chase Zack Payne. One lap to go for Tom Colling. He’s going to win this one. This is going to be a 64 for the Comets. This will reduce the Aras by two points and make it 41 to the Comets and 49 to Horseback. 64 in favor of the home side and a good ride by Tom Collie. The interval always incurs a little bit of track maintenance. Here we can see resident track curator Arthur Lawrence watering the track getting some moisture in it helping to give a bit a little bit more traction around the corners. Very very hot day today. Got to be into at least 26 27. definitely needs quite a bit of water and the pool riders and pool management giving the track a little bit of care smoothing out the service for these riders. The referee even gets involved doing his little bit with his grader. See cycle speed club has a clubhouse with refreshments all day during the meeting. You can get anything from burgers and hot dogs, sausage baps, tea and coffee and ice creams on a lovely hot day like it is today. Everybody taking shade. But this is available throughout the whole of the day and throughout the whole of the meeting. Lovely day it is today for Cycle Speedway. And certainly the crowd is being entertained today. All taking shade. enjoying the entertainment, although the Comets are losing by eight points. They’ll be cheering on the home side and hopefully Paul will get back into this meeting uh during the interval. Horse path riders having a chat there. Mark Bowler studying the program. I think he’s actually the team manager for today. Then Will Jeffrey and Leon Pankath in the shade. On we go for heat number 10. Score Paul 41, horsepower 49. That’s an eight-point deficit for the home side. And they are now on the outside gate positions with Tom Colling off gate two and Furrows Langu off of gate four. And for the horse path hammers, Leon Pinker of gate one and a reserve change in place of Mark Bowler will be Owen Johnson on gate three. Crucial race again. Comets needing to reduce the aras. They’re away and it is Panka. He leads into turns one and two. Tom Colling doing the defensive job against Owen Johnson. It’s Langu around the outside. That’s a good ride by Tom Colling getting his team partner into second place and now he’s going to leave Aaron Johnson the high line and then accelerate down the back straight certainly has this one under control. He leads by about four or five lengths from for Rose Langu. This is the last lap. This is going to be a five all. They’re going to retain their eight-point lead. Bank of with the win. Rose Language second. Tom Colling, good ride by him. Owen Johnson in fourth position. The scores are now 46 to the Comets and 54 to the Horse Pass Hammers. So, it’s still an eight-point lead for the team from Oxford and pretty much led all the way through this National League fixture. Paul now have gates one and three. the inside gates, favorable gates. Grski has come in as a reserve change for Teddy Curtis in heat 11. So they have a strong pairing out in this one. Growski and Oliver Saunders against an equally strong pairing of Payne and Jeffrey heat 11. Makes the start immediately. Jack Payne looks for Oliver Saunders. Jeffrey slots into second. That’s a five all for the horse mouth hammers. That’s good. Costsy now trying to slow it up a little bit. Keeping Jeffy wide. Zack Payne catches up. Oliver Sa is in fourth place will certainly keep Zack Payne honest. He’s going to buzz inside outside. Zack Payne now with the right elbow putting Oliver Saers in his place. Kosski is going to be coming into the last lap. This is a five ball and Will Jeffrey really thinking about having a pass on Dowski. But it’s going to be Dowski that is going to take the win. Jeffrey second. Zack Pay third. Oliver Saunders for him. Oh, that’s unlucky for Will Jeffrey. Caught the rear wheel of Greg Vowski coming out the final turn. Takes a spill. That is Paul’s benefit cuz that turns it around into a 6-4 for the Comets. Overall scores now are six points. The lead for the horse path hammers. They lead by 58 points to the Comets 52. Gate 12 is next. Horse path again. They see themselves on gates one and three. Matt Milen pool captain is on gate two and he needs to get the race win here. They are behind by six points. Jamie Randall. Certainly very quick round here. He’s off in gate four, but this is Mark Carmichael’s race. He needs to And there’s a little bit of movement there. Jamie Randall, gate four. And he knows he’s moved at the start. And that’s unfortunate for Jamie. That is going to be minus one point. So Paul already at a disadvantage in this race. Car Michael off a one, Milton off a two, Shawn Bennett at three, Randall off a four. Bennett looks for Randall. Carichel is away. Milton’s on the chase. Bennett is now stretching his third place over Jamie Randall. Mark Carmichael away. Matt Milon chasing Bennett is being chased really hard by Jamie Randall. He does get round this circuit very very quickly. Does Jamie, but he needs to make the pass if we’re going to go eight points down if it stays like this. Milen buzzing, ducking and diving, looking for a way passing. Jamie Randall really trying hard and he’s off. That’s a shame for Jamie. This is going to be a 64 to Horse Path, bringing the aggregate scores to Pool 56 and Horse Path 64. So we go on to the next race. Pete 13. Pull off the inside gates. Tom Collinger for one. Ridden well today. Owen Johnson as a replacement comes in off of gate two and Langu has been gated by the informal Jeffrey but it’s coin now sitting for Jeffrey. Owen Johnson slots into third place. Langu looking for the drop. This is a close race. Jeffrey coming around the outside. Owen Johnson again looking for Langu. Langu powers around the outside. Comes around. Tom Colling is slowing the race. Johnson makes a slip. Jeffrey comes around. Now he’s looking for Fez Langu. FZ Langu is end up on the curb and Owen Johnson comes through to second place. Good riding by the horse path and it’s pulling in the lead going into last lap but this is a five all but will Jeffy now is just sitting Fez Langu who’s he’s going to have fourth place in the bag. He tries on the last corner but that is a five all for the Hammers keeping the scores in their favor. They are leading by eight points, 69 points to Paul comments 61 as we move into heat 14. Reserve change for Paul. Greg Crossy comes in for Teddy Curtis. Mark Carmichael ridden exceptionally well today. Looks fit and fast and furious. He’s off of gate one. Oliver Saunders off gate two. Sean Bennett off gate three. And they’re away. And it is gets round. Ala looks after Shan Bennett and this is a five all for the Comets. Carmichael out front. Kosty chasing but this is not really good enough for the Comets. They need race wins and they need heat advantages. Bennett they’re driving up the inside of Oliver Saunders. But now Saunders speeds away and they stay in the five. Kovski in second, Oliver Saers third. But it’s going to be Kichel that is sitting for to cross deep and he is going to take the win unless Greg can pull off a miraculous pass. This is going to be yet again another five all. Not good enough for the Comets but good enough for Horse Path. Our scores are Horse Path 74, still eight points ahead of the Comets who have 66 to the next race. And these races are becoming very very crucial for the Comets if they need or want to get back into this meeting. Heat 15, Junior Randall and Matt Milon against George Wley and Leon Pinker. Pink have is being held at the gate for the first time today. And Randall has told George Horesley and Milildon comes up the inside. This is a tight one going into turn three, but George Horley comes around the outside and Remy Rand really getting stuck into Liam Panka putting him off balance. Unfortunately for James Randall, he is now in fourth place and Panka has secured third. Hley in second and Milildon is away again. This is not good enough for the Comets. It’s another five all. Horse path will just consolidate their eightoint lead. Jamie Rana really buzzing and ducking and diving against Leon Pinker who’s now going to speed away to third place. Still lead by eight points after 14 races. They lead by 79 points to 71. 16 and uh with horsepower on gates one and three they have the advantage. Sha Bennett off gate one. Owen Johnson replaces Zack Payne on group three. 39year-old Greg Kovski and similarly aged Tom Colling lines up on gate four and it’s makes the start and puts better on the inside and that’s an all four restarts might be told to keep a bit more of a straight line into the first corner and we go for the restart need something out of this they are eight points down and Owen Johnson has moved at the startski says, “I know who moved.” That will be a minus one off of Owen Johnson’s score. So, into the restart. Paul are definitely going to get a heat advantage if they can win the race in this heat. Here we go again. Bennett off of one, Gowski of two, and Johnson gate three, Tom Colling gate four. Go Tom. And made another great start. He slips into the lead. And Johnson put paid to Tom Colling’s challenge for second or third. Although Colling now is actually making head roads into Owen Johnson catching him quickly. We got Vowski. Two laps gone. He leads in second, Owen Johnson third. Colling really pushing hard. He looks up the inside. They need this to the Comets. They need this. Colin goes wide. He’s looking for the drop. It’s going to be perfect. He’s up the inside. That’s a great pass by Tom Colin on the last lap. And that’s a 64. Just what Paul needed. Actually, it’s a 6-3 because Johnson had minus one in that race. The scores are pool 77 and horsepower 82. Five points in it with two races remaining. Couldn’t get much closer. Here we go for heat 17. Pull off the insides. Teddy Curtis needs to pull the gate of his life out here. He’s got Mark Bowler off of gate two right next to him. Ollie Saunders three and the fast starting Leon Pink off of four. Crucial. Mark Bowler seemed to move at the start, but he’s got away with it. Pink around the outside. Bowler clamps. Oh no, Ollie Soners come at the inside. That’s a great ride by Ollie Sauners. And Teddy Curtis comes around the outside, but Mark Bo gets the right elbow. puts him actually off the track there, but it’s done enough to slow him down. Ollie Saunders knows he’s going to have to get his team pilot through. Panker is away after two laps. Saunders into second doing well, but Bowler now is looking after Teddy Curtis. This is going to set as a six to horsepower. And this is going to give him the match. This is going to settle the National League points today. Pink of win and with bowler third that means they lead by seven points and with only seven points as a maximum 7 nil in the last race for the comets I think this tie is well and truly over the heat 18 and uh the scores now are horsepower 88 and the full comets 81. So to get anything out of this meeting, the Comets need a 7 nil which really entails the two horsemouth riders being excluded. That’s not going to happen. Will Jeffrey offer one sack pain off of three. So there’s a little bit of pride for Gosski and Milen in this one. And away tries to get across Will Jeffrey. No, that doesn’t happen. He takes Gosski wide. Zack Ping comes through. Milan’s up the inside of Jeffrey. And that’s good. Comes up the inside and Milton around the outside and Zack Payne absolutely wipes out Matt Milon. That was uh yeah a bit hard and Graov now slipped his pedals which is a disaster. Jeffrey ran the outside and sat Pain Powers ran the outside. Graovski is into third and that is game over. So Horse Path really have shown their dominance today. They’ve ridden way better than the Comets. It’s unfortunate, but the league points are going to go in favor of the team from Oxford. Ball 84, Horse Path 95. Well done, Horse Path. Good meeting. That concludes the match today. So, all the scorers, Matt Milon did his job as captain, 14 plus two, Tom Colling, 18 plus one. Top scorer was Greg Klosski. rocking a little bit in the comments today. A little bit of firepower which is unfortunate but well done horse path Leon Pink really good star. That’s a massive score for Leon. Well supported by Carmichael and Zack Payne and Will Jeffrey. [Music] Right. [Music] [Music] 1 2 3 1 Wait, [Music] heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music]
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What was the justice for Jeffery banner all about?
Hugely competitive sport – surely due for a major national and international revival?