WORLD champion Jason Doyle took victory in the SGB Premiership Riders’ Championship as he once again proved his class around Wimborne Road.

The former Pirates asset, who won the event under the Elite League banner in 2015, kept his nerve in a power-packed final which included Troy Batchelor, Hans Andersen and Poole’s Brady Kurtz.

Doyle broke clear off bend two with Batchelor, who had been hugely impressive in his qualifying rides, left to cling on to second with Andersen in close attendance.

It was a fitting finale to a decent night’s racing, with heat two providing the best duel of the first set of contests. Wolverhampton’s Sam Masters swept round Ty Proctor on the first two turns with Doyle diving up the inside into second at the start of lap two.

However, the Grand Prix charger had left it too late to catch Masters, who clung on by a bike-length.

There was also a winning start for Kurtz, who sprung rapidly from the tapes and was never troubled by Swedish star Jacob Thorssell.

Kurtz continued where he had left off in heat seven, blasting away from the tapes and winning at a canter, while Batchelor rounded Poole asset Kyle Newman at the end of lap three.

Doyle again provided a thrilling race, holding his nerve to pass Andersen after being taken wide on the second turn. Max Fricke tried to force his way into second but Andersen showed all his experience in slamming shut the door.

A nerves-of-steel pass from Kurtz on Charles Wright proved the highlight of heat 10 after the duo had duelled for track space for the opening lap, while Doyle fell just short after decent battle with Batchelor.

There was concern for Nick Morris when he fell off his machine on the back straight of heat 12 but the Swindon star was soon back on his feet, albeit with an unwelcome exclusion.

Andersen, who had got off to a flier in the initial attempt, made another quick start in the re-run and that was that.

A Doyle race again proved an entertaining affair as the Somerset man powered past Adam Ellis on the back straight of heat 14. Niels-Kristian Iversen followed him through and even Newman had a look at third, although to no avail.

Batchelor took a second straight race win before Andersen became the first rider to beat Kurtz, who had gone off an unfriendly outside gate.

An enthusiastic display from Harris could not deny Doyle a spot in the final as Kurtz ran a surprise last and Fricke produced a contender for move of the night in race 18, leaving Ellis and Grajczonek in the dust.

Batchelor steamed into the final with another victory and Kurtz, Andersen, Thorssell and Harris were given the task of battling it out in the semi.

A quick start was key for Kurtz off gate one, with Andersen seemingly keen to block him at the first turn. The former Australian champion did just that and Andersen was happy in second, with Thorssell nowhere near him.

It was then left to the mercurial Doyle to seal a well-earned victory in the final.

RIDERS’ SCORES AND HEAT DETAILS

1 Chris Harris (3-3-0-1-2) 9+0, 2 Adam Ellis (1-1-0-1-2) 5, 3 Troy Batchelor (2-2-3-3-3) 13+2, 4 Hans Andersen (0-2-3-3-2) 10+2+1, 5 Ty Proctor (1-2-1-f-3) 7, 6 Sam Masters (3-r-3-0-r) 6, 7 Scott Nicholls (0-0-1) 1 – withdrew, 8 Jason Doyle (2-3-2-3-3) 13+3, 9 Josh Grajczonek (1-1-0-1-1) 4, 10 Nick Morris (3-2-x-1-1) 7, 11 Kyle Newman (0-1-1-0-1) 3, 12 Charles Wright (2-0-2-2-1) 7, 13 Niels-Kristian Iversen (0-r-2-2-2) 6, 14 Jacob Thorssell (2-3-1-3-0) 9+1, 15 Brady Kurtz (3-3-3-2-0) 11+3+0, 16 Max Fricke (1-1-2-2-3) 9.

HT 1: Harris, Batchelor, Ellis, Andersen, 59.13

HT 2: Masters, Doyle, Proctor, Nicholls, 59.56

HT 3: Morris, Wright, Grajczonek, Newman, 59.47

HT 4: Kurtz, Thorssell, Fricke, Iversen, 59.87

HT 5: Harris, Proctor, Grajczonek, Iversen (ret), 59.81

HT 6: Thorssell, Morris, Ellis, Masters (ret), 59.50

HT 7: Kurtz, Batchelor, Newman, Nicholls, 60.16

HT 8: Doyle, Andersen, Fricke, Wright, 60.69

HT 9: Masters, Fricke, Newman, Harris, 61.00

HT 10: Kurtz, Wright, Proctor, Ellis, 60.88

HT 11: Batchelor, Doyle, Thorssell, Grajczonek, 60.81

HT 12 (re-run): Andersen, Iversen, Nicholls, Morris (fell/dsq), 59.63

HT 13: Thorssell, Wright, Harris, 61.35

HT 14: Doyle, Iversen, Ellis, Newman, 60.97

HT 15: Batchelor, Fricke, Morris, Proctor (fell), 61.28

HT 16: Andersen, Kurtz, Grajczonek, Masters, 61.60

HT 17: Doyle, Harris, Morris, Kurtz, 61.13

HT 18: Fricke, Ellis, Grajczonek, 61.38

HT 19: Batchelor, Iversen, Wright, Masters (ret), 61.22

HT 20: Proctor, Andersen, Newman, Thorssell, 61.63

Semi-final (re-run): Kurtz, Andersen, Thorssell, Harris, 60.87

Final: Doyle, Batchelor, Andersen, Kurtz, 61.06