Heaton Mersey claimed the first club silverware of the season after their top two of Steve Burton and Maris Korablev finished the strongest in the Pairs Championship Final at Rugby. The defending champions fought their way back into contention after a poor start to the meeting—they on the wrong end of a heat four 4-2 against Poplar—taking the title with three consecutive 5-1 scores in the second half of the meeting. The third of those came against Wimbledon in what turned out to be a title decider in heat 20. Any heat advantage in the race for Ben Hale and Roman Saenko would have taken the Stars to victory, holding a one point lead at that stage the Hornets pairing needed a 3-3 or better from the four lap contest. Hale’s failure to score against the hosts three races earlier had seen their lead in the final slip, and once again the experienced Brit was found wanting, he far too easily pushed out wide by both Burton and then Korablev at the first bend. Saenko had split the pair, but he soon fell behind Korablev, an attempt to slow the race down by the Russian ending in disaster as his rival slipped all too easily under him coming out of the fourth bend on the opening lap. From then on it was 5-1 all the way for the Hornets who clinched the trophy in style. Having led the meeting for so long the Stars had to make do with third on the night, with Poplar—represented by the all British pairing of Steve Boast and Bruce Brooke—going on to overhaul Wimbledon’s points tally, the Bears taking the runners-up spot with the minor places in the final race of the night.

Heaton Mersey celebrated their Pairs success by becoming the first side to record a division one away win this year. It had taken until the sixth round of the league season for the deadlock to be broken, Mile End the venue for the first away victory, Steve Burton (14) and Adam Beeby (10+2) securing the points for the Hornets with a last heat 5-1. That was the first time the visitors had been in front all meeting, the Mosquitos lack of top end firepower telling in the end, although second string Toni Lindberg (12) had done his best to make up for the sides deficiencies. The Finn is one of the most improved riders at the first change of GSA’s, he becoming Mile End’s new number one after seeing his mark improve by nearly three points to a figure of 9.38. Poplar’s Henrik Henriksen beats him to the top of the improver’s list though, the Danish starlet—who cost the Bears £45,000 last season—seeing his GSA jump from 3.12 to 6.36 after starting the year well at reserve.

Lyme Bay extended their unbeaten start to the season to eight meetings in all competitions with back-to-back away wins. Reserve Teemu Niemi scored 9+2 in the Buccaneers 41-49 victory at Downham in the Division Two Cup and it was the 18 year old who got the visitors on their way to their league win at Highworth, the Finn leading home Andrew Russell for a 5-1 in heat two. Only three more heat advantages followed for Lyme Bay, however they were never headed in the clash, John Moore (14) and George Spence (12+2) sealing the 43-47 victory with a 5-1 in heat 13 and the minor places in the last heat decider. Despite their great start to the campaign Lyme Bay lie second in the division two table, behind Purton on points difference, the Pirates having raced to their second away win of the campaign this week. Southampton was the venue for their successful road trip, only six race wins—three of which returned by Petur Pedersen (12+1)—required for their 43-47 victory, the points secured for them by a second place from reserve Colin Taylor (6+2) in the penultimate race.

Etruria still lead the way in division three, but they cannot shake over Wolverton, both sides winning home and away in the league this week. The Wolves had conceded a heat one 5-1 at Dudley but by the end of heat five they led by eight, three visiting 5-1’s from six different riders turning the meeting on it’s head in double quick time. Eight 3-3’s in a row followed before a fourth Woverton 5-1—won by reserve John Hutt (10)—in heat 14 ended the sequence and Dudley’s hopes of any points from the meeting. Dudley bounced back from the 40-50 loss to win at Poole, 38-52, Lee Stenner—who scored just two against Wolverton—contributing 16+1 to the victory from his position at reserve. Etruria’s away win was returned at midland rivals Sawley, Erik Casser (11) sparing the blushes of the Staffordshire side with victory in a last heat 4-2, they’d gone into the final race all square having led for the first 13 heats.

World Number three Ari Vento rode to his first title since making the £683,000 switch to Sunderland at the start of the year, the 27 year old picking up the Finnish Championship silverware after victory in the final at Pori this week. Dudley’s Jukka Ruhanen (11) pushed him all the way to the title, he though had to settle for the runners-up spot after being excluded from the final race where he was up against Vento. Meanwhile Igor Nikiforov won the Russian title in Pskov, the Kassel star finishing a point clear of fellow European League rider Ilya Sverev (2nd) and Wimbledon’s Roman Saeenko (3rd).