English riders for Chch

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33965, 4 October 1975, Page 48

English riders for Chch

An English speedway test rider. John Davis, will be one of two young overseas riders permanently based at Templeton in the season which officially opens on November 8. The other, also an Englishman, will be the British junior champion. Neil Middleditch. They were chosen from five applications from leading British riders seeking “employment” during their off-season. It is several years since Templeton had a resident overseas rider — the last was Howard Cole. The decision to accept further overseas riders was made to help compensate for the loss of the former world champion. Ronnie Moore, who was forced into retirement by injuries received in Australia earlier this year. WELL-KNOWN Davis is already well known to Christchurch speedway followers. He was a member of the British league riders’ team which defeated New Zealand in an unofficial test series last season and went on to win the New Zealand solo title at Palmerston North. In the British season just ■ended Davis, who rides for I Oxford, had considerable i success. He represented Britain at test level on several occasions.

Middleditch is aged 20 and a rider of unsuai promise. As well as winning the British junior title last season, he also represented Young England. Riding for Eastbourne in the second division he had an average points score of 10 out of a possible 12. He has also ridden in the first division for Poole. Both men are expected to provide some strong competition for the New Zealand test riders, Graeme Stapleton and Larry Ross. Stapleton was, apart from Moore, by far the outstanding rider racing regularly at Templeton last season, and Ross, after a season with Wimbledon in England, is expected to show improvement on his previous very good standard. Golf.— Gene Littler and Chuck Courtney are tied for the lead after the first round of the $175,000 Kaiser international open golf tournament in Napa, California. Both had seven-under-par scores of 65.. Golf.— Eddie Polland (N. Ireland) overcame a wrenched shoulder to grab a three-stroke lead after the second round of the £20,000 British Masters golf tournament at Ganton. Yorkshire. He shot a record five-under-par 66. Graham Marsch (Australia) was disqualified in the first round for signing a wrongly-marked card.