Holders Swinton are through to the semi-finals of the Division One Cup for the third successive season after extending their unbeaten run in the competition to eight straight ties. Newly crowned Pairs Champions Ryan Webb (13) and Pavel Zirnis (9) had put the Lions in a position to secure progression to the last four with a combined five race wins out of their first six at Timperley, with Webb’s second place finish in heat 13 then earning their side victory in the group encounter with two races to spare. Like his fellow heat leaders, Christopher Ellis (11+1) would race to three wins in the victory, their second away from home of this years campaign, and one which ensures their qualification as winners of their section despite still having one meeting left to ride. Stone Cross will go through from second unless Birkenhead—who lost out at the Crusaders 47-43 this week—win their final group meeting—a home clash with Timperley—by a 20 point margin or more. Sawley could also qualify, but they will have to win at Swinton by 11 to stand any chance of snatching second spot. In the other half of the draw Greenhill made a semi-final place a certainty with a 53-37 home win over Southampton, 13 heat victories in all for the Greyhounds on the night, with five going the way of the Luca Romano (15) who scored his first full maximum of the season in the fixture, his second would follow days later in a home league win over Nottingham. It’s the Red Knights who are in prime position to qualify alongside Greenhill from the group, they needing just a point from their remaining tie.

Record four-times winners Auckland are on course to reach the Division One Cup semi-finals for a seventh time after they won at Whiddon. The Rhinos are favourites to top their group with a home meeting with Lakeside to come following the 44-46 win, which was completed by Daniel Bodell’s (11) least heat victory over Joakim Naess Lund (14+2). In the other group a draw at Eastbourne has given Denston hope of reaching the last four in their maiden season in the competition, the Diamonds racing to just four heat wins in the contest, but thanks to a season best 10+2 from reserve Jonathan Turnbull—who tallied more than that home side’s bottom four combined—they had enough to take a share of the spoils. Not so good in the league for Terry Rigby’s side however, they going down to a 43-46 home defeat to Grangemough after suffering a last heat 5-1 reversal in a meeting they had led in by nine with five heats remaining. Jari Annala (17+1) and Matthew Wild (14+2) returned three heat maximums over the course of those five races.

Whiddon’s tenure at the top of division two was a short lived one with a home draw against Rugby seeing them slip to third in the standings. The Royals are up to second after picking up their first away point of the campaign, with Liden ending the week top once again thanks to their 44-46 victory at Grangemouth. The Oilers top two—dominant in that earlier victory at Denston—both defeated in the last heat decider by the unbeaten Lewis Clay (14+1), a rider who’d been averaging below seven this season. Elsewhere Bullbridge tripled their points tally for the campaign and moved off the bottom and up to eighth with home and away wins, the Bandits in fact just three points off the promotion places following their latest success, a 43-47 victory at Eastbourne, a meeting in which second string Louis Forster hit a season best 9+1.

Dane’ Soren Thissel (12) stepped up from reserve to record a remarkable Scandinavian semi-final win in Pori on his WSO debut. The 24 year old topped the standings from former world number ten Kasper Larsen by a point. Bullbridge’s Balder Granholm (13) won the second of the qualifiers in Oslo after beating Ulrik Eliassen in a race-off. It’s the 28 year olds first WSO career win, he is also now set to make his Scandinavian Final debut.