Houston’s bid for a third European Cup crown in five years is over after they suffered a heartbreaking two point aggregate semi-final defeat to Horsens. Six up from the first leg, the Mustangs exited the competition after conceding a last heat 4-2 to unbeaten world number two Yuri Duskin and ‘five-point’ rider Urjasz Szczepanski (10+2). Szczepanski had helped give the Danes the advantage in the tie for the first time three races earlier when shepherding reserve Thormod Enevoldsen (16) to a second home 5-1 of the meeting, the victory the 30 year olds fourth of the leg, he having began his heat win count with success in the first of his side’s maximums in heat two. Horsens beat Pori in last years final to land their maiden European Cup title, they will take on St Ives in this years decider, the Pirates back in the showpiece for only the second time in their history after coming through an equally tight last-four tie. Nick Ward’s Pirates completed a 89-91 success in an all-British affair against York, that despite winning their home opener by just six points. It was an lead that had been wiped out by the second leg hosts by the end of heat two, with Vipers riders going on to win five of the first six races and claim four heat advantages to go four up on aggregate. St Ives’s comeback began with a Venedict Smolin (13) winning 5-1 in heat seven, the Russian’s success the first of a run of six in seven races for visiting riders, which culminated in a Nelek Piotrowski (14+1) led 4-2 in heat 13. Smolin and Piotrowski would combine to see out the aggregate win by beating York heat leader Ethan Martin (6+1) in the final race of the tie.

Warley’s hopes of top flight survival in SL36 are all but over after they lost at home to relegation rivals Fort William. The 43-47 defeat and later two point loss at Doncaster leaves the Warriors bottom and 13 points adrift of safety, the Wildcats remain ninth, but have moved to within seven points of the cut off mark. Heat 11 and 15 5-1’s from Viliam Kafta (15) and Daniel Bauer (12+2) secured Fort William what was their first away win of the campaign, the vast majority of the visitors scoring came from their top two and reserve Denis Keller (13), none of the other four in the septet tallied above three points over the course of the contest.

Victory on debut for Fredrik Alquist (14) in the opening Grand Prix of the season. 32 year old Alquist, who broke his WSO career meeting duck by winning the Scandinavian Final to qualify for the series, dropped just a point to make it two major titles in succession. Home track advantage played a part in the Beverley man’s two point success, but take nothing away from the Swede, he is fully deserving of the European GP crown, he dropping his only point in an otherwise flawless performance to current world number four Herman Stanic (11) in heat 14. Milan Grof (12) matched his career best second place finish by beating Angus Rogers in a race-off for the minor podium spots, Stanic took fourth alongside Miloslav Ivanoff, the top British finisher in seventh was defending World Champion, John Hawke (7).

Draws were the order of the day in the lower divisions with four recorded in the bottom two tiers of the league this week. Pelham took the sole away point from the latest set of division two fixtures, Adamec Krupa (13) winning both his side’s 5-1’s as they moved back into the top half of the standings after claiming a share of the spoils at bottom side Sneyd Green. In division three reserve George Woods scored 11 as leaders Bolsover held Boston on their travels, while Fenny Stratford—now unbeaten in five—made it two away draws on the bounce thanks in part to a strong showing from their reserve, Cvetko Tasic (8+2). At Bury a last heat 5-1 from second string Franz Gratzei (11) and Michael Pfingstl (14+1 from six) saw bottom of the table side Hawick claim their first away point of the season.