It was a case of the old one-two for Kent SLYDE Kings’ Ben Morley & Danny Ayres as they completed a magnificent September by taking first and second places respectively in the National League Riders Championship at Rye House on Saturday .

For the Central Park-based Speedway club’s skipper Morley an imperious maximum, winning all five of his races against the cream of his rivals in the City Gearboxes National League [CGNL], marked a triumphant return to his one-time home track – banishing previous disappointments in some big individual events and confirming his status as the number one rider in this division.

If Morley had started the evening as many experts’ most fancied then few outside of Central Park would’ve predicted that his team mate Ayres would finish on the next step down on the rostrum. But the Newmarket racer showed how far he has come at the end of his second season only in the sport by turning in the best performance so far of that short career.

So the duo became the first ever to follow an NL Pairs win (they triumphed in that discipline up at King’s Lynn earlier in the month) by finishing one and two in the NLRC; and with that the SLYDE-backed Kent Kings club became the first ever to have the winner and the runner up in this showpiece individual event, staged annually since 1994.

And it was clear from the level of magnificently vocal support in the crowd, where fans travelling up from Kent to cheer on their favourites outnumbered all other fans by a huge amount, that this is a club really going places now and on the crest of a wave of optimism for the future.

A perfect evening just had the slightest lump in the throat start in the opening race with Morley falling on the first bend – but with all four back to the start and Ben unhurt he began his imperious march to the title that’s always been his destiny, by seeing off three of the ante-post favourites in one fell swoop: home rider Kyle Hughes, the always dangerous Liam Carr and defending champion (a faller), Mildenhall’s Danny Halsey.

Ayres was out on track two races later and though he was outgated by King’s Lynn’s Tom Stokes, the Kent man swept into the lead to put down an early marker. The other two race winners in the first set of four heats were, potentially ominously, the likely main men as far as the form book suggested: former GB Under 21 champion riding his home track, Rob Branford and GB Under 21 World Cup rider, from the CGNL champions, Adam Ellis.

As it happened these two met each other in the very next race, heat five with the French-born Ellis taking the three points. Heat eight pitched the two Kent SLYDE Kings men together too, with Danny making the trap but Ben passing him around bend two to carry onto victory. Morley wasn’t headed at all in his next two rides as he moved irresistibly toward the title, heading home the still dangerous Branford in heat 12.

The real turning point of the meeting for both of the SLYDE Kings was heat 10 though. Ayres faced the at this point unbeaten Ellis; and threw in one of his trademark lightning starts to hold off the Birmingham man who tried everything he could to get back the totally resolute Kent man. Ayres’ magnificent victory saw him move level with Ellis in second place; crucially of course this meant Morley was now the only unbeaten man out there.

Ayres’ next outing was heat 13 and there was to be no jinx as Danny proved to be again the man who could come from behind on this Rye House track – taking the home star Hughes in a superb dive inside on the final bend of lap two. Heat 14 didn’t feature either Kent man but had an ultimate overall effect on the destiny of Ayres, as Branford dropped another point, this time to Buxton’s Carr.

So the final ‘round’ of races with Danny and Ben rostered into heats 19 & 20 respectively. Ayres knew only a win really in his final ride would keep him firmly in line to equal or even better his team mate should Morley drop a point in the next race but it turned out to be the only blip on his record. Stoke’s Lee Payne couldn’t take his place (suffering from his heat 16 crash; hopefully he’ll be fit to take his place in the Potters’ line up at Central Park in the Kent County Fours on this Friday..) with track reserve Alfie Bowtell coming in.

But the real danger was another Rye House man, Branford. For the only time all evening Ayres had a bad start and found himself stranded at the back – entering the second lap though the Kent man was past the stuttering Bowtell into the one point position; but with Branford winning and Ayres unable to improve on third it meant he was now sweating on a rostrum position – though sure of at least a run off to decide his fate.

So to the very final heat – and the vagaries of the draw meant it pitched the still unbeaten Morley against his one-time Lakeside Hammers reserve partner Ellis just one point behind at this juncture. Ellis made the gate but Morley swept around him to take the lead – and the two gladiators of the track battled out wheel to wheel for the remaining three and a half laps with Morley always just holding sway.

Ellis made one final desperate win to get past to achieve parity but hit Ben’s back wheel and was down. The crowd were up though – on their feet to salute Morley as champion!

This pointless return from Ellis meant Ayres’ run off with Branford was now for second place and the Rye House Raider made the start holding off the ardent attentions of Danny until the third bend of the second lap when the Kings’ man swept past. Desperate to make up ground, the Australian-born Branford overcooked it a lap later and fell. Though he remounted it was now a hopeless chase and as Ayres took the chequered flag it was double delight and dream time for the massed ranks of travelling Kent fans!

For Morley it was difficult to articulate just how much it meant to finally achieve that major individual title he’d been so close to on many previous occasions,

“There’s really no ways to explain how I feel. I’ve been runner up a few years and to finally end up on top is a great feeling. Heat 20 was so tense – I was just trying to stay in front that was probably the hardest race I’ve ever ridden. Adam pushed me all the way and it was a shame it ended how it did and I hope he’s alright and I was just glad to come out on top.”

There was added delight for Ben in his pal and team mate sharing in the glory,

“Having been with Danny (Ayres) in the Pairs and us winning that, it’s just such a perfect way for us to both to end the year. I’d also like to thank everyone from Kent who came down to support us we really do appreciate it.”

Ayres was happy too to have delivered exactly what was required on the biggest of stages,

“Obviously I knew I could do something if I pulled it all together but to be honest I’ve always struggled with individual meetings. I’d have a good couple of first races or be poor to start and it wouldn’t come together. But it’s certainly come together tonight – I only had one bad one when I came third then to win the run -off I just can’t believe it.”

To complete an amazing weekend for the Murston-based Speedway club, their other heat leader, teenager James Shanes triumphed in the British Masters on Sunday (27/9) – confirming his status as the top Grasstracker this year in the UK. More details on Shanes’ win down at Wimborne in a report to follow.

The three trophies won by the Kent SLYDE Kings’ top three men will be triumphantly paraded around the Central Park track this Friday (2/1)0 in a homecoming to remember – the action will be the inaugural Kent County Fours: a quartet from the home side taking on Eastbourne, Mildenhall and Stoke. Gates open at 5pm for a 6.30pm start time.