Havelock hails 'world-class' Cairns as Poole power past Workington

Former world champion Gary Havelock hailed the world class credentials of rising star Will Cairns as he led the charge in Poole Pirates’ win at Workington.

The 17-year-old won each of his four rides in a 51-39 triumph on the road in the SGB Championship.

And despite drawing a blank in heat 15, team boss Havelock, the 1992 champion of the world, said watching Cairns ride was like “poetry in motion”.

He told the club website: “When you watch Will ride you aren’t just watching a class Championship rider but a world-class rider, and I mean world-class.

“He was smooth, he was fast. Just poetry in motion. It was beautiful to watch and you can be forgiven for forgetting he’s only 17 years old. Phenomenal.

“When I asked him to do heat 15 he kind of said he would rather sit back and take the maximum, but I said to him, ‘yes, 12 is a maximum but it is not a proper maximum’.

“I said to him the way you are riding you can go out there and do it again and then he wanted it. Sadly he just got stuck on the inside and there was nothing he could do, so I feel for him, but you can’t fault the lad.

“But you look at the whole team performance and hitting 50-plus away from home at a place like this is special.

“I can assure you I am very proud of the Pirates tonight, from one through to seven. That performance was up there alongside the Glasgow one when we won the league title last year.”

The victory was the second of back-to-back meetings on the road for Poole, who drew 45-45 at Scunthorpe a night previously. Guest Edward Kennett (12+2) was the top scorer for Poole on that occasion.

Next up for the Pirates is home meeting against Workington at Wimborne Road on Wednesday.