InTheDeepStuff

Batchelor definitely threw the Northampton team under the bus last night. Know he hates riding Owlerton (as was clearly seen in his 2021 season there) giving them just about zero opportunity to get a suitable replacement is a disgrace. They’d be better binning him off after that and picking up an available Championship rider to take his place (Sedgmen, Allen, McDiarmid, Mountain even Kennett)

Wonder if Howarth will get a medal even though he’s stood down from the team (rode first leg and on team sheet for last night with r/r)? If so that’d be 3 KO Cup winners medals in 4 years for him not a bad way to sign off even if just for 2026

Unfortunately for Northampton they have too many riders that if they don’t gate then that’s it, went to Owlerton last night for second time this season and Lidsey, Klindt, Zagar all nowhere if didn’t get out of the start, Klindt especially embarrassing won one race by a country mile, then other same distance back in last place. Whereas for Sheffield Pickering (no surprise there), Kileen and Flint all showed that the track was conducive to overtaking. Northampton need a rider (or two) to add to the squad who will attack a track if they want to have more chances of gaining wins during the season someone like Charles Wright for example. Scoreline could have been worse if Kileen hadn’t have been given ht15 but it was well deserved him getting the pick of been the higher scorers in Rowe, Pickering and Holder snr.

Wonder if Doyle will carry on with Aces after his 28 day contract expires? Not much of an off last night, packed his bags and out of pits during meeting, not that he’s any loyalty to Lemon or the Aces but if wasn’t something requiring medical/hospital attention riders usually stay in pits with their team mates. Suppose we’ll see soon enough

Heard same Phil that he’s back for another few weeks at his majesty’s pleasure

Home win some margin, 54-36. I’m going for the Sheffield reserves to score a combined 1 point unless they both miraculously find some gating gloves from bottom of kit bag

As a Promoter Damian Bates needs to actually promote the sport and not be asking fans to do it for him. Friends of fans will know what they go support etc but having such a stop start season with repetitive opposition it’s a hard one to sell, but that again comes down to incompetence of BSPL

What’s up with Doyle, did he crash in SGP on Saturday (not watched it), or has he aggravated old injury?

Should just be the top 15 in UK averages (converted to Premiership) at end of April plus 1 wildcard (to allow for someone who hasn’t got official average yet), if you don’t actively ride in UK by choice or not you don’t get a space. No need then for a sparsely attended semi final with riders who possibly don’t have time or need for an extra meeting

Would imagine Sheffield on to Doyle to guest for Jack Holder next Thursday as he’ll be at Belle Vue as long as Bewley is out for

Watched rerun on BSN (a lot of fast forwarding through FTG races) well done King’s Lynn on a great comeback to grab all 3 points available on the night Know there’s not a lot of choice out there to replace Jack Holder (that will come at a cost that’s achievable to pay anyway) so unfortunately stuck with guests or R/R for the foreseeable, is there any chance Sheffield might look to strengthen the number 6 slot at reserve? Etheridge ok at Owlerton but usually unreliable away from there, wonder if any options of someone who maybe able to give them a bit more especially away from Owlerton, be interesting to see what’s out there on an average of just over 3 when converted from Championship (or historical Premiership) 🤷‍♂️

Woffinden is injured that’s why his Swedish team gave him the boot and replaced him. Heard from someone there tonight that Jack Holder was there and still had air boot on his foot alongside his arm injury. Also that Garrity has a post match spin watched by a lot of the Sheffield team and the Bates’, make of that what you want are they wanting to bring him in for Etheridge

Will Ryan Douglas be back for this one as that was a big off he had in Poland at the weekend? Can’t see Kyle Howarth being fit to ride either as still suffering with the re-occurrence of his ankle injury form his spill last week, Dickson will be hoping Douglas rides as if not it’ll be R/R for him and a non premiership contracted rider as guest for Howarth (not much depth left in Championship to choose from as per Ipswich having to use MPT) which will put Leicester in a weakened position than him being available or runnIng R/R.

Wasn’t Cook originally seeded to British Final?

Problem is Morris is ruthless as a ‘team rider’ in most meetings he’s carved his own team mate up, be that Thompson or Howarth, or Kemp. He’s possibly better off at 2 riding with Douglas and then have Thompson and Howarth at 3 and 4, that’s if Masters can regain some form and get points from riding at 5

Could Garrity fit as replacement for Gilkes? Ducks for cover 🫣

I would guess that Kyle Howarth will be missing Friday, looped it at the start, got signed out of the meeting and looked to be struggling to walk or put pressure on his left leg/hip

With Cook in UK you know what you’re getting 10 yards after the tapes have gone up. If it’s a flat slick surface he’s quick anything else bang average at best, thing is at King’s Lynn he’s seems to not be be big enough/strong enough to dominate the bike, whereas at likes of NSS he where it’s generally smooth and slick he’s fine. Can see him back there in 2027 on his lowered average instead of Blodorn to bulk up their Aussie connection

With Cook in UK you know what you’re getting 10 yards after the tapes have gone up. If it’s a flat slick surface he’s quick anything else bang average at best, thing is at King’s Lynn he’s seems to not be be big enough/strong enough to dominate the bike, whereas at likes of NSS he where it’s generally smooth and slick he’s fine. Can see him back there in 2027 on his lowered average instead of Blodorn to bulk up their Aussie connection

This is going to be a tough one for all the riders involved, will be in excess of 30° during the meeting, lord knows how much hotter in the pits and in their kevlars! Imagine Sheffield will go down the R/R route for Jack Holder as with only Northampton and King’s Lynn not riding only really Chris Harris as an option. You’d think Chris Holder, Pickering, Flint and Rowe could get maybe 7-10 from 4 rides not sure if Harris would get that from number 1. Did I hear right on BSN last night that Dan Thompson could miss this for Leicester of Lodz decide to use him for their Ekstraliga 2 meeting that clashes (practising today to decide squad)? If he ends up in Poland that would be a big loss for Leicester as looked on fire last night and had good meetings around Sheffield too, would they go guest or R/R? Can see Howarth again being a busy man down at number 6 maybe getting a ride or two extra from likes of Kemp, Morris or Joe Thompson Just due to Jack Holder being a consistent big scorer around Sheffield and R/R or guest not covering adequately I think Leicester will come away with the away win 41-49

Hearing that Jack Holder list of injuries bigger than told on Saturday by Polish press during the GP, I’ll let the official confirmation of these be released by Jack and his clubs, but these would be season ending for the lad, puts both Sheffield and Gorzow in a predicament, hopefully Jack back fully for for his Aussie season and then back in UK in 2027 with a GP wildcard as he was up there again pre these injuries

Can see Kyle Howarth being a busy man at reserve for Leicester, not a track that Kemp, Joe T or Morris have historically done well at

From a rider who has been speaking to him in the last week or so. Know his father passed recently (funeral was this week I believe) so will have been trying to deal with that ahead of any comeback to the sport also

Also about who actually honours those cheques, look at Rowe at same club as Pickering owed around £20k so far this season. Vast majority of riders who race over there get nowhere near what they’ve been promised in their contracts

Hearing Charles Wright is ready to make his comeback, can he jump straight back in for Klindt, not sure what rules are with these multi 28 day rules