Speedway 2012

[Mirage]

Speedway returns this Sunday with an individual meeting to act as the curtain raiser. The leagues will start not long after and the prices are up for the Elite League with quite a few firms. BetVictor have priced up the Premier League too - something I haven't seen done before so a big well done to them. There is still a while to go before the GP's start again. Good Luck guys.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Speedway returns tomorrow with a fund raising meeting in Birmingham before the pre-season challenge matches get under way during the week. I've had a look at the Premier League betting so here are my thoughts: Premier League Outright 4/10pts Ipswich to win the Premier League - 15/8 with BetVictor 1/10pts Each-Way Newcastle to win the Premier League - 12/1 with BetVictor (1/3 odds 1-2) So, i'll start with who I cannot see challenging for the title. Plymouth should finish near the bottom of the league yet again despite improving their side massively this season. Their top 2 of Ryan Fisher and Ben Barker will finish near the top of the rider averages whilst Steve Boxall can also be solid back-up. The trouble is that there isn't much Premier League quality behind those in the side so consistency will be a major problem. Leicester are also in the same situation because behind Nieminen, Bjerre and Karlsson there is nobody who will score well regularly at home, never mind away from home. I can see them being beaten a few times at home this year so, like Plymouth, they are in for a tough season. Edinburgh look solid and will be tough to beat at home but they lack a real big hitter to trouble the better sides. Rye House have a good home record season after season and can pick up their fair share of points on the road. However, Garrity and Bowen cannot be relied upon away from home whilst Frampton and Neath can struggle on certain tracks. Scunthorpe are putting out their best side in a while, in my opinion, but I think their away record will let them down this year. The return of Josh Auty to fight for the number 1 spot with David Howe is a massive boost as he knows the Scunthorpe track inside out. They will score 20+ between them in most away matches but Aarnio, Toft, Birks, Jorgensen and Armstrong don't fill me with confidence when it comes to facing teams in the top half of the table. Redcar are in a similar position. Matej Kus struggles on smaller tracks and there are plenty of those in this league so having him being so up and down again is a major worry. There are also lingering doubts over his commitment to Redcar when there are same-day league fixtures in his homeland for other sides. Max Dilger and Robert Branford will struggle away from home but they have enough about them to be challenging most sides at Redcar. I feel they will just fall short, though. Glasgow were tempting me for a while but I have been put off by the unknowns in the shapes of Campton and O'Malley. There is also a niggling thought in my mind that Ksiezak will take a while to get fully wound up after a while away from a track that has changed since he last rode there. They will go well though because in Screen and Grieves they have ultra-consitent big scorers and will be backed up well by Josh Grajczonek. I'd want 18/1 or above to take them so 14/1 is too short for me. Workington are another who tempted me for a bit but there are a couple of reasons that have put me off. The main reason is Gary Irving. This bloke is so out of his depth it is amazing that he keeps getting a chance. Kyle Howarth could take a while to get used to the Workington track whilst Adam Roynon's racing style means he is more likely to suffer another bad injury than fulfill the promise that should mean he is the ace in the Workington pack. They are spearheaded by the mighty impressive Rene Bach but the price is a bit too skinny for me. Berwick have a good side but I don't understand why they are as short as 6/1. Ricky Ashworth has finally left Sheffield but he is one of those riders who will always struggle at certain tracks so I can't see him improving his average a great deal. Bellego, Hertrich and Edberg could all make a mockery of their low averages or be dire so with 3 out of the 7 hard to predict the 6/1 about them is an awful price for me. Somerset have a strong side on paper and a good home record and I think 10/3 is probably right but offers no value for me. They have a top 4 who will match anyone and if their youngsters improve they could well be champions but, like I said, 10/3 is just a bit too short. Sheffield have put out an awful side compared to recent years. Hall isn't consistent, Wells' average will probably decrease whilst Joe Haines has had a tough time of late. They have the likes of Franc, Skidmore and Sanchez who will score 5-7 each at home and away but nobody in that side will worry any opponent. So, on to the teams I will take. The first is Newcastle. The men from Geordieland have once again got a solid 7 man side who should be challenging for honours. Mark Lemon has the experience of being number 1 and having him in and around the pits is probably worth another point a match alone. Stuart Robson has been fantastic since he has been with the side and racing in the Elite League has given him the extra cash to go out and get machinery that is head and shoulders above a lot of his opposition. He can gate and pass on any track. Nedermark is returning this year and will be in better shape having had experience of the away tracks so should be in a good position to improve his 5.84 average by a point or two. Lindgren and Henry will be consitent at home and away whilst the Worrall brothers being at reserve will also be better off this year after having a look at the away tracks last term. 12s represents good each-way value to me. Ipswich are the main selection. Now, they are the favourites so it isn't very original to go with them but I think 15/8 should be 6/4. Kevin Doolan is their number 1 and he has the experience of winning titles and had an average campaign last year so it means he is, in my eyes, coming in with an average that is a bit lower than what it could finish up as. Taylor Poole is improving rapidly and will increase his average again whilst the signing of Dakota North is a massive coup. North banged in win after win last season when riding for the away team at Ipswich so we know he will score plenty of points now it is his home track. He has impressed everyone since coming over and I can see him having a cracking season and ending up in the Elite League in 2013. Risager and Tresarrieu will score well at home and away. They may not improve their average a great deal but it will not decrease. Rohan Tungate was chased by a lot of clubs in the off-season after impressing in a number of invitational events at the end of 2011 so he could well live up to the five point average he comes in on. He is a young Aussie so will not be short of help as far as machinery is concerned and being a newcomer over here will be made a lot easier because he is in a strong side. The main reason for choosing Ipswich is the signing of Cameron Heeps. Heeps rode in the National League last season and banged in double figure score after double figure score to get every club in the land interested in him. He starts this season on an average of 3.00 but that could well be over six come the end of the year. He will probably follow in the footsteps of Darcy Ward and make a big, big impact in the sport. Having him at reserve for the first few weeks means he will be scoring 10+ every meeting if given 6 or 7 rides and when he does move in to the main 1-5 the likes of Risager, Poole, Tresarrieu or North will do exactly the same depending on which of them drops down. They have experience, exciting youngsters, solid back-up to the top guys and a few riders who will improve their average. That is every ingredient a league winning side needs. Injuries always play a major part in this sport so that has been factored in to the stakes. (How the season works - http://www.speedwaygb.co/pltable12.html)

[kevshat]

Re: Speedway 2012 Cracking preview Mirage. Good luck this season mate :ok.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 The Elite League gets underway shortly, here are my views: Elite League Outright 1/10pts Swindon to win the Elite League - 15/2 with SkyBet (1/3 odds 1-2) 1/10pts Peterborough to win the Elite League - 10/1 with Paddy Power (1/3 odds 1-2) I'll once again start with the teams I don't think will be winning the title. Eastbourne will, in my opinion, struggle to get away from the bottom of the league all season after putting together a side that lacks a big scorer and one that includes a couple of unproven riders at this level. Lahti and Gizatullin will struggle away from home whilst the likes of Woodward and Dryml will score solid points at home but won't trouble many of their opposite numbers on the road enough. Lewis Bridger will be under pressure to be their top rider but i'm not convinced he is good enough for that. They are a top price of 20/1 but should be around 33s I think. As the odds suggest, Belle Vue will also have troubles. Rory Schlein carried the side last year and it will be up to him to do it once again. The likes of Hougaard, Gjedde and Shields have the potential to score double figures at home but all need to improve massively to stop regular thumpings on their travels. The reserves don't look strong enough to cope with a lack of big scorers above them in the side. Kings Lynn haven't improved their side much from last year and I can't see their home advantage being enough to see them challenge at the top of the table. Iversen is too inconsistent to become the main man so the loss of Bjerre to Peterborough is a massive blow. Their side is solid but the reserves look very weak so the fact they have nobody at 6 or 7 to score big points often will cost them. Birmingham are in the same position and the fact that their track is seen as a pretty fair one does them no favours. Opposition riders like their circuit so the lack of a bias will mean they are run close at home often. They will be around mid-table all season. In Pontus Aspegren and Lukasz Sowka, Wolves have a couple of unproven riders on British shale. Ricky Wells is doubling up will Jorgensen to fill the last position and neither of them inspire me with much confidence. They have the consitently brilliant Freddie Lindgren back to lead them and he is backed up by Tai Woffinden but they have a long tail. Unless the new boys hit the ground running they could be out of the title race before it has even properly begun. I think Poole will probably have a good season but at 3/1 they are too short for me. Yes, they have a brilliant top two in Chris Holder and Darcy Ward but after that i'm not convinced they have got a great balance. Ricky Kling can be brilliant on odd occasions and then look like he is a complete novice on other days whilst Todd Kurtz could be out of his depth. Sam Masters and Ludvig Lindgren share a place but I can't see either doing a great deal, especially the latter who has struggled to make an impact at Wolves over the years. Those riders are enough to put me off. However, if they do have troubles early on they do have the finances and pulling power to make good team changes. Lakeside are another side who have solid scorers but look dodgy towards the bottom of the team. In Karlsson, Watt and Richardson they have riders who have been round the circuit a few times over the years but they are also all getting on a bit. I'm not saying they will rapidly decline but i can't see them increasing their starting averages a great deal. The likes of Nilsson and Mear will do well at home but if they struggle away the side won't pick up enough points on the road to make a huge impact. Coventry have just failed to make my staking plan. They, like Lakeside, have a very good top three in Nicholls, Harris and Kennett so will be hard to beat at home. However, I think Bager is not up to Elite League level and neither is the combination of Roynon and Bunyan for the other reserve place. Lanham and Summers share another place but both of those throw in the odd stinker too often. They will be challenging throughout the season but the odds are too short for me. So, I will have small each-way investments on Swindon and Peterborough. Swindon's side looks full of potential to improve. Batchelor, Andersen and Stead could all improve their averages as they will be consistently solid at home and have a lot of experience of the away tracks. All three have the potential to be unbeaten on any given day at any track so for them to come in on a total average of just under 23 points is a great deal. They could take that up to a combined total of 26-27 which is a masive improvement in this sport. Nick Morris is a hot young prospect and having him an Kildemand swapping throughout the season between the reserve place and a 1-5 place is a good thing. Both will score well at reserve where they will be getting 6 or 7 rides a meeting. Doyle and Alden share another place and they are both solid enough to get 5 or 6 a meeting. The second reserve berth is also shared by a couple of riders who can go well on their day. I think they have a very exciting side so an each-way play on them is a good bet. Peterborough are in a similar position in that they have a side full of potential. Kenneth Bjerre returns and could improve on the 9-point average he comes in on. He knows the track inside out so will be near enough unbeatable at home most weeks and will score big away too. Linus Sundstrom is a young lad going places in the sport so should move his average from under 7 to around the 8-point mark. In Lasse Bjerre, Bach, Jensen and Lawson they have hungry youngsters who all look at home in this league whilst Monberg has bags of experience so I think he is a snip on a 5-point average. They have good home advantage and a good balanced side so can have a good season. Again, not the bigest stakes because injuries have a massive say in this sport. (How the league works http://www.speedwaygb.co/eltable12.html)

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 The Elite League Shield gets the season started tonight and it will see Wolves and Poole battle for it. I am not going to get involved with the match as both sides have unproven riders so it is very tough to call.

[BluePirate]

Re: Speedway 2012

The Elite League Shield gets the season started tonight and it will see Wolves and Poole battle for it. I am not going to get involved with the match as both sides have unproven riders so it is very tough to call.

Was a good close match on monday, and i certainly didnt expect a Poole win, so as you did, just as well i left it alone. 2nd leg at Poole tonight and wolves arent normally the best of travelers to wimborne road and I was looking at a Poole 10 ish point win. Think B365 are quite close to the mark in the 13 handicap, the whole meeting re handicap will depend on the middle order, expect the top 3 from each side to near enough cancel each other out.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 The Grand Prix rounds get underway tomorrow so I will put up my selection for the World Championship now. World Championship Outright 2/10pts Each-Way Chris Holder to win the World Championship - 12/1 with Bet365 (1/4 odds 1-3) Once again, I will start with who I think won't be challenging for the world title. Peter Ljung is a newcomer to this stage and I think he will struggle massively. We have seen him in Britain a few times now riding at Elite League level and he isn't even good enough to be a consistent big hitter in that league. Therefore, he should be struggling to get off the bottom of the standings all year round. Bjarne Pedersen and Hans Andersen will be challenging in certain individual rounds but don't have the consistency to do it at every event. They will rack up decent totals at most places but there will be too many times when they fail to make the semi-finals. Chris Harris is, again, the only British representative and the machinery side of things is still a worry with him. Last year he mentioned a few times that his bikes weren't up to scratch and, athough changing some of his staff behind the scenes, I can't see him having made the big improvement necessary. Antonio Lindback has the talent to be a world champion but he isn't always in the right frame of mind. He will go out and win a race comfortably then trail in last next time out so is far too hit and miss. Freddie Lindgren is brilliant at club level but I don't think he has it in him to be world champion. There is something about him that means he isn't able to take his club form to the world stage - a bit like Leigh Adams. He will be in mid-table come the end of the year I think. Nicki Pedersen is on the way down for me. He is still a class act on his day but last year there were too many off nights so I don't think his odds offer much value. Emil Sayfutdinov is heading in the opposite direction and will be a World Champion one day but I think this could be a year too soon for him. He needs to be more consistent on the smaller tracks. Kenneth Bjerre is an electric gater and has said this week that he wants to be world number 1 within the next 3 years. That is possible but I think there are still 3 or 4 riders ahead of him who put in big scores more often so I have also discounted him. For me, Andreas Jonsson's odds are pretty ridiculous. Yes, his confidence will be up after a good end to last season but he is still yet to prove he has the mentality to challenge at the top of the standings. He has everything needed to be number 1 but that has been the case for years now and over those years he has disappointed on a number of occasions. He should be around the 8-9/1 mark so 5s is way too low for me. Jarek Hampel is available at 5s too but they are also too short. He has a better chance than Jonsson in my book but in a field this competitive I don't want to be taking those odds on a man who threw in 3 or 4 stinkers last year. Scoring 8 points in a round usually means you make the semi-finals so anything less than that and you're in trouble. Jason Crump failed to hit that total on 5 occasions last year and finished 55 points behind the top spot so that doesn't inspire me with confidence this time around. He has still got the ability to win this but I think 10/1 offers no value. Tomasz Gollob could well regain the title he won in 2010 whilst Greg Hancock could retain it. However, I won't be taking either of those. Gollob seems to have it in his head that he doesn't like certain tracks and at his age that mentality isn't going to change. In 2010 everything went perfect for him and he deserved to be the champion but he is the type of rider who needs everything to fall into place over the course of a full season to have a good chance. He failed to get in to double figures in 6 of the last 7 Grand Prix rounds in 2011 and I think that stat sums my point up nicely. Hancock was fantastic throughout the course of last year and I don't think many will have been on him at the start of the season. It took a huge effort to get the title and he has everything in his locker to retain it. 13/2 is a decent price but not good enough for me when there may be riders with more hunger. I will be taking Chris Holder this year. This lad has everything needed to become the 2011 World Champion and could be the champion multiple times over the course of his career. He is electric from the gate and at this level that is of massive importance. He is a young man who has a very level head so should he be up there mixing it for the title I would be confident he wouldn't let the pressure get to him. He is used to expectation as he is the top dog for a number of teams in different countries and is one of the smoothest and best riders in the world to watch in terms of style. Last year he did ok but will definitely have hoped for better. He hasn't been in this company for long so with a couple of years experience behind him he could be ready to challenge and, unlike some riders, he can ride any type of track with the same consistency whether it be big, small, wide or narrow. Holder is as short as 7s in places and I would have had him around the 8/1 mark so to see 12/1 available is a massive surprise. I really do think this could be his year to break in to that top 3 and, if off to a good start, maybe even challenge for the world title.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 There is one Elite League match tonight and I will get involved with one market. Lakeside vs Belle Vue 3/10pts L. Richardson to score under 11 points - 23/20 with Bet365 Lakeside should win this match comfortably but I think this price is a bit too high. Lee Richardson is a very good rider at this level and could just as easily go on and get a score above the 11 point mark tonight but there are others on show who could make sure he doesn't get enough. For starters, there are Peter Karlsson and Davey Watt in the same side and they could be picked to ride in heat 15 over Richardson. If so, that would mean Richardson only takes the 4 rides but I am not only relying on that. He races with Karlsson in heat 13 and (if picked) probably heat 15 too and I would favour PK to take both of those race wins. There are a couple of danger men in the Belle Vue side too. Rory Schlein proved last year that he is good enough at number 1 to score big points away from home and he knows he will need to be at his best if he is to save his side from embarrassment. To back him up he has Adam Shields. Shield has rode for Lakeside in the past so knows the track inside out and will race against Richardson at least once tonight. Patrick Hougaard put in a huge score at Poole in midweek so will come here full of confidence and with hopes of showing a few Lakeside riders the way round their own circuit. As I said, Lakeside should win this well, but there are enough men on both sides to prevent Lee Richardson from scoring 11 or more points.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Cheers mate! Good to start with a winner and I am glad following me paid off for you. +3.45 to start with then. EDIT: Just to add, I am going to leave the opening Grand Prix alone as literally anything could happen. Good luck to those who play.

[Samba_SamPa]

Re: Speedway 2012 Nice start, Mirage. Look forward to reading your thoughts this season :cheers

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Good luck to anyone who plays tonight. I'm too busy to look through the markets so won't be getting involved myself.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 It is a busy day of Speedway today and there are a total of 8 Elite League meetings taking place with the first starting at 11am. I will probably be back more than once throughout the day as bookmakers put their prices up match by match. Here are my thoughts for the first meeting: Coventry vs Poole 3/10pts Coventry (-4 points) to beat Poole - 10/11 with Bet365 As I said in my season preview, I think Coventry have put together a very compeitive side for this campaign and they will see this home match as a big, big chance to send out a message to the rest of the Elite League. This will be a tough test for them, hence the stake, but there is a definite possibility of them doing it. Both sides have a couple of big hitters in the shape of Nicholls and Harris for the home side and Holder and Ward for the visitors. If those men are on form this will be very tight but if one has an off day it could be very costly for their team. Each of the riders mentioned could go through the card unbeaten and because they are so hard to separate I don't think that it is likely the competition between them will be the major deciding factor. I do, however, see Summers, Larsen, Kennett and Roynon swinging the tie in Coventry's favour. Aaron Summers has been on fire for Redcar so far this season (barring last night) and a couple of scores of 11 in the last 2 meetings around this track will have boosted his confidence even more. Kenni Larsen proved last year that he is at home in this company whilst Adam Roynon is, for me, slightly ahead of the opposition reserves here because of his love of the big, open tracks. Then there is Eddie Kennett. Kennett is the 3rd heat leader behind Harris and Nicholls for his team but would not look out of place in the position of either of those men at the top. He knows the track inside out so Holder and Ward will do well to beat him, never mind the likes of Andersson and Miedzinski who are his direct competition. Away from home I think Sam Masters is a weak link for Poole at 2 and the reserve pairing of Kling and Kurtz is hardly the strongest. For me, Coventry have the better middle order and the best reserve on show so I think they can cover this handicap if both sides are firing on all cylinders.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 I am going to leave the Lakeside match alone and have interest in 2 others. Belle Vue vs Wolves 4/10pts F. Lindgren to score over 11 points - 21/20 with Bet365 This should be a tight match, as it was last year, and I think Freddie Lindgren can put in a real captains performance and put in a big score. Last year on this day he didn't have a great meeting but the track that time was a joke - there was a lot more dust than usual so it was a real struggle to come from the back because it was very poor to see past the flying shale. This year it should be a lot better after the recent weather and there isn't too much that worries me in the Belle Vue side. Rory Schlein aside, this is a very poor team that Belle Vue have put together. They have already made changes and bring in a couple of riders in Skornicki and Kajzer who will need a few meetings to get up to speed. Lindgren, on his day, is head and shoulders above all 7 of the home riders and I think this is a nice price on him dropping no more than 3 points. Peterborough vs Kings Lynn 4/10pts L. Sundstrom to score more points than M. Janowski - 4/5 with Bet365 This is a short price but well worth taking I think. When looking at who each rider has to beat I think Sundstrom has the easier task.....on paper, of course. There isn't a out-and-out number 1 in the Kings Lynn side because Iversen is far too inconsistent to be considered as one whilst the likes of Korneliussen and Janowski aren't quite up to the mark. Sundstrom was one of the signings of the season in the Elite League last year and has been rewarded for good form by being moved from number 2 in the line-up to the much tougher position of number 5. He will find that position harder against some teams because he will go in to heats as Peterborough's main hope of a win but here today that pressure shouldn't be on too much. He has started this season in good form when riding in challenge meetings so there don't seem to be anything to worry about as far as he is concerned. Janowski will be a top rider in years to come but he is still learning the tracks in this country and, despite some ok form at Peterborough, I think he will find it tough today. The likes of Bjerre, Sundstrom, Bach, Allen and Monberg are all either ahead of him or level with him in terms of ability on this circuit so heat wins should be tough to come by. Peterborough have the stronger side so I think Sundstrom will find it easier to pick up points than his opposite number.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 The Coventry bet is a loser, despite them leading by 10 points after 9 heats. Disappointing.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Janowski has put in a really good performance at Peterborough, although Bjerre being off-form has helped a little bit. No excuses though, fair play to him for going out and doing the business. Sundstrom did well but not well enough i'm afraid. EDIT: Just to add, the meeting at Belle Vue was abandoned. No result.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 The weather has once again had the final say so both of tonights meeting are off.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Nice one mate, good to see a winner! I haven't really got going yet this season as the weather has either forced a postponement or made a lot of matches impossible to predict, in my opinion.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Personally, I can't see anything worth taking tonight. The markets look spot on and the bets I don fancy represent no value at all. Good luck to anyone who does get involved.

[Samba_SamPa]

Re: Speedway 2012 RIP Lee Richardson :sad

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Lee Richardson, the skipper of Lakeside, former GP rider and Team GB star, died in a crash in Poland yesterday. Lakeside were due to be on Sky tonight but that meeting has been postponed because of this awful incident - an incident that has shook the whole of the Speedway family. R.I.P. Lee Richardson Belle Vue will now host a meeting for Sky. In my opinion that's disgraceful as I think all meetings tonight should have been cancelled by the clubs promoters. I'm not going to get involved with it as far as betting is concerned.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 So far, Newcastle and Swindon are going well in their leagues. Peterborough and Ipswich less so. Those Elite League bets are each-way by the way (suppose people can tell by the terms quoted). Just realised I forgot to put them in. Chris Holder is joint-second in the World Championship just 9 points behind Greg Hancock. Haven't been in here much recently due to working away a lot but hope everyone else is managing to get a few winners.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Been working abroad a bit lately so haven't been involved much in here but will get involved with this weekend's GP: Italian GP 2/10pts T. Gollob to win Italian GP - 6/1 with SkyBet 0.5/10pts Each-Way to win Italian GP - 40/1 with Bet365 (1/4 odds 1-3) Gollob comes in to this needing a big result to get himself back in to the World Championship standings and an average weekend could end his title hopes. I think he could propel himself up the standings with a win here and a win that carries a big score with it. The GP has been held here for the last 3 years and Gollob has had mixed fortunes. Last year he was awful and never made the semi-finals but in the two GP's previous to that one he had won 12 out of the 14 rides at the track. In both of those years he won the final and past form like that makes him a no-brainer for me at these odds. Chris Harris comes here with some confidence after a good showing last time out and he is another with good memories of this track. He was poor last year too but in the previous two years he made the semi-finals on both occasions. He made the final once when finishing second to Gollob which, back in 2010, was no disgrace. He is a rider that can mix it when confident and although he hasn't had a great time overall these past couple of years, he comes here in good shape and I think this price is a bit too big.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 I will be heading to Cardiff for this event on Saturday morning and have already got involved in the outright market. 2/10pts G. Hancock to win British GP - 4/1 with SkyBet 1/10pts E. Sayfutdinov to win British GP - 9/1 with Bet365 I backed him when he won this last year and I don't think the bookies have Greg Hancock short enough to do it again. That was his 2nd victory in Cardiff and he has made countless other finals and finished as runner-up more than once too. To win this event you have to be quick out of the gate and Hancock's reactions at the start are as good as anyone else's in the world. He won the World Championship last year and has been in good form this season so there is nothing to suggest he won't turn up here in good enough shape to win. Also, to win this event you have to turn up with an open mind because the track at the Millenium Stadium is only there for this event so, therefore, it is inconsistent from year to year. Some riders cannot adapt but Hancock certainly can. Emil Sayfutdinov surprised me with his showing last year and was arguably the best rider of the night. He was excluded in the final but after his first couple of rides he was sensational and looked the most likely winner going in to the last race. He hasn't done as much as others have at this venue but is the type of rider who will try all sorts of racing lines and, although probably better on larger tracks, this circuit isn't short enough to stop him trying those trademark wide lines. He is still young and his ablity to gate and overtake whatever the situation should mean he does well againt this year.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Fantastic meeting with plenty of great racing. Disappointed with Hancock as, although he had bad luck in his last ride, he didn't look as sharp as usual. Sayfutdinov was unlucky I thought but Holder was awesome and definitely deserved to win. A bad weekend in terms of picking the meeting winner but a good one for the GP outright bet.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Holder became World Champion last week so that brings in a hefty outright profit and we also have Swindon and Newcastle in their divisional play-offs.

[hebert10]

Re: Speedway 2012 Just had a look through here. Not really watched much of the Speedway but some great write ups Mirage, Looks like you know your stuff. Congrats on Holder aswel and GL on your other bets! :clap

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Thanks mate! Haven't got involved in the domestic scene much from week-to-week because the weather has caused havoc but nice to have some lively outrights. Fingers crossed.

[Mirage]

Re: Speedway 2012 Swindon have won the Elite League tonight so, with all outrights now settled, the season bets have brought in a profit of 31.5pts.