Cookie should be in the GPs

NEWS Saturday 19th August 2017, 6:34pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Legendary Monarch Craig Cook seems certain to have qualified for the 2018 Grand Prix series after scoring a brilliant 11 points in the GP Challenge at Togliatti, Russia today.

He achieved this after a last place in heat 4, recording two wins, then a second and a final ride win. There were three ahead of him in the final tally – Przemyslaw Pawlicki (13), Artiom Laguta (13) and Patryk Dudek (12) – but as long as Dudek finishes in the top 8 of this year’s series, which seems highly likely, then Craig will step up as one of the three qualifiers.

Dudek was amongst the riders he beat, as were current GP riders Matej Zagar and Peter Kildemand plus the brilliant Dane Leon Madsen.

Craig has wanted this for so long, wanted it almost too much at times, but he has not always found it easy to produce his best form on the biggest occasions. Few Monarchs’ fans doubted that he had the capability and now he has proved it.

The brilliant Cumbrian rode in our colours 2011-2015 and rode in the Premier League-winning 5-1 with Sam Masters for us two years running. He is still a Monarchs’ asset and is of course the current British Champion. He’ll be visiting Armadale with the Workington Comets on 8th September.