Perfect ending for Freddy

He may have been wearing the colours of Belle Vue Colts but Freddy Hodder was very much a Jewson Bandits’ winner in Saturday’s hugely entertaining season finale.

The popular 18-year-old has endured a difficult debut season at Championship level but on his way to lifting the Stars of Tomorrow trophy he reminded the Shielfield Park crowd just how much raw talent is he has.

Fast starting Freddie dropped just one point from his five rides,  to eventual runner-up Connor Coles in his penultimate ride.

Hodder’s only other real challenge came in an opening heat when he dramatically lost power coming off the final bend but fortunately had such a huge lead over Matt Marson that he could cruise to the chequered flag.

It would prove to be a key heat as Jake Mulford had already come to grief on the first bend, picking up too much grip and baling out before he clattered into the fence.

Coles’ heat 14 win over Hodder re-energised his title challenge after he had thrown the metaphorical kitchen sink at Luke Crang in an effort to get past his former Bullets’ team-mate but was forced to settle for second in heat eight. A further second place to Mulford in his final ride ended the birthday boy’s hopes of forcing a run-off.

Mulford eventually completed the podium after winning a run-off with Mason Watson, the local hero ending the night in an untidy heap on the back straight after thumping into the second bend fence in an effort to force his way past the 20-year-old after the pair tied on 11 points.

It was an unfortunate way for Watson to end his evening but thankfully he escaped a bad looking crash with nothing more than a hand injury.

Mulford had gone into the meeting – part of the NLRC Series – as many people’s favourites after a good season for Redcar which in turn led to a Rising Star slot in Premiership play-off bound Belle Vue Aces.

It was a night of high drama with another fancied pre-meeting, Dayle Wood, came to grief in his first ride chasing Coles.

More mishaps came as Jacob Clouting and Oxford Chargers’ team-mate Jody Scott both ploughed through the tapes handing opportunities to Kieran Douglas.

Scott, despite being only 17, is another getting a taste of Championship life. He certainly caught the eye of meeting sponsor Terry Straughan who chose him as the recipient of a special trophy for the most entertaining rider of the night.

Oxford appear to have tapped into a rich seam of young talent and two of their teenage tearaways, Ashton Vale and Senna Summers produced one of the best races of the night, albeit for the minor placings. In the end Vale used a combination of a wide back wheel, a forceful leg and the home straight fence to stop his team-mate’s run for the line.

Former Bullet Jamie Halder showed that he hadn’t forgotten how to ride Shielfield Park with a typically solid eight-point haul. But in truth all 16 riders proved that there is plenty going on below the top two tiers in British speedway.

None moreso than Hodder who joins British under-21 Champion Sam Hagon and Joe Thompson are round winners of the new competition. His smile said it all. A perfect way to end a season which hasn’t gone to plan for either Freddy or the side he joined during the winter.

Scores: Freddy Hodder 14, Connor Coles 13, Jake Mulford 11, Mason Watson 11, Dayle Wood 10, Matt Marson 9, Luke Crang 8, Jamie Halder 8, Ace Pijper 8, Jody Scott 7, Jacob Clouting 5, Stene Pijper 4, Ashton Vale 4, William Hocaniuk 3, Senna Summers 3, Arran Butcher 1, Kieran Douglas (Reserve) 1

Pictures: Taz McDougall