SGB Premiership
Swindon 50
Rye House 42
LAST Thursday’s comfortable first home league win of the season against the Rye House Rockets eased the pressure on some of the under-achieving Swindon Robins riders.

The obligatory four home and four away meetings have passed allowing manager Alun Rossiter to make changes.

But despite continued rumours about a return for Rohan Tungate, the victory left some of the Robins faithful feeling that perhaps the current side can achieve something after all.

Their next league meeting is on June 29, when the formidable Wolverhampton side are at Blunsdon, so plenty of time for Rosco to bring someone in if he so chooses.

The Robins opened with an easy 5-1 as Jason Doyle headed Bradley Wilson-Dean home with Stuart Robson and Eddie Kennett left trailing.

On a night of generally good racing on another smooth strip, young reserve Zach Wajtknecht had the crowd cheering as in heat two he stalked and then passed Ellis Perks for the win.

The young Bristolian rounded Perks in some style two races later for a third-place point as Nick Morris claimed the first of his three race wins.

By race six the Robins were 26-10 up following another 5-1 from the Doyle/Wilson-Dean partnership and this time the Australian seemed to throttle back on the run to the flag allowing Wilson-Dean to take the win.

The Rockets did come back with heat wins in races seven and eight but for once the home side looked comfortable with the middle and lower end of the side responding to Doyle’s pre-meeting request for some improved form.

Adam Ellis had a much improved night. His recent continental jaunts must have helped as he scored seven points from his first three races, while David Bellego took a quiet 7+3.

Except for ex-Robins Scott Nicholls and Troy Batchelor, the latter deputising for Chris Harris on unsuccessful GP qualifying business, the opposition were very disappointing.

Kennett claimed three lasts but in a piece of pure genius he stalked Nick Morris for three laps before overtaking him on the last lap of heat 11.

The Rockets did take some consolation in a 5-1 race 15 win but by then Doyle had completed another home maximum as for once he followed home Morris in the 13th race.

On Saturday Doyle will be hopeful of success at the Danish GP in Horsens. He is the only rider who has qualified for all this season’s four GP finals and while he missed a semi-final place in last year’s Danish GP, he does have the advantage of knowing that one point series leader Patryck Dudek has never ridden there.

In Italy last Saturday Robins reserve Dany Gappmaier scored five points in a good quality GP qualifying semi-final won by Belle Vue’s Craig Cook who is now only five rides from a 2018 GP place. He competes in Russia in August in what will be a very tough night against riders with much more international experience.

SWINDON 50: Nick Morris 12, Jason Doyle 10+2, David Bellego 7+3, Bradley Wilson-Dean 7+1, Adam Ellis 7, Zach Wajtknecht 5, James Sarjeant 2+1

RYE HOUSE 42: Troy Batchelor 14+1, Scott Nicholls 9+1, Ricky Wells 5+1, Stuart Robson 5, Ellis Perks 4+2, Edward Kennett 3, Rob Branford 2