IPSWICH hope to take their red-hot cup form into the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership as they travel to Oxford tonight.
The Suffolk side launched their season with an impressive and comprehensive Knockout Cup quarter-final win over Belle Vue, installing themselves as many’s tip for glory in the process.
In contrast the Spires were knocked out of the cup, beaten home and away by King’s Lynn and losing winter signing Peter Kildemand in the process.
The Dane continues to be sidelined under the concussion protocol with Oxford operating rider-replacement.
In contrast Ipswich are at full strength and looking forward to their return to Oxford where they won on both of their visits in 2024.
New signing Tom Brennan has already tasted success on the Cowley racestrip having won the Ben Fund meeting while Rising Star Jordan Jenkins races for Oxford in the Championship.
Ipswich team manager Ritchie Hawkins said: “Oxford is a place we went well at last season and with the majority of the same team it is just another reason for us to go into the fixture with great confidence.
“We are very much focused on getting an away win on the board early.”
Oxford counterpart Peter Schroeck feels that Latvian Francis Gusts, a standout performer in their early season meetings, could prove a trump card in the absence of Kildemand.
He said: “The options regarding guests were very limited, especially as we don’t get the five per cent home increase due to Peter still being on an assessed average.
“Charles Wright and Erik Riss can both take a rider replacement ride while Francis can take up to seven rides across the night. Rider replacement is not always the best option, but on this occasion, we believe it is.
“Peter’s fall last week was just a racing accident. He suffered a trapped nerve and would have been ruled out in any case under the concussion protocols, but we’re hopeful that we will have him back next week.”
Oxford: Rohan Tungate, Erik Riss, Charles Wright, Peter Kildemand R/R, Maciej Janowski, Francis Gusts, Luke Killeen.
Ipswich: Jason Doyle, Danny King, Adam Ellis, Tom Brennan, Emil Sayfutdinov, Dan Thompson, Jordan Jenkins.
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.