EDWARD Kennett has admitted "this is the big one for me" ahead of Sunday's World Under-21 Final at Ostrow in Poland.

The young Pirate goes into the meeting (start 6pm) as one of the favourites to lift the title in his last year as a junior.

But he faces a stiff test from the likes of Poole asset Chris Holder, defending champion Karol Zabik, Morten Risager and Russian sensation Emil Sajfutdinov to do so.

Kennett is aiming to become the fifth rider to take the crown while a Pirates rider after Ronnie Preston (1979), Jason Crump (1995), Lee Richardson (1999) and Krzysztof Kasprzak (2005).

The Great Britain international, who made his senior World Team Cup bow earlier this year, said: "I have put in a lot of time and effort equipment-wise into the World Under-21.

"So this is the big one for me.

"I'm going to Ostrow feeling strong. (Former British Grand Prix winner) Martin Dugard is coming along with me and (current Pirates star) Craig Boyce is coming to help on the engine set-up side.

"One of my sponsors, Martin Hagon, has taken his motor home over so that we can stay in it.

"He went out on Thursday. I'm flying out today with Boycey, my parents Dave and Bridget and my girlfriend Jade.

"We are all set. Everything is in place."

Kennett, who missed out on a chance of reaching last year's final because of a passport problem which prevented him taking his place in a qualifying round, added: "I want to go to Poland and be the number one on Sunday night.

"I'm going to give 100 per cent in every race.

"At the same time, I don't want to put too much pressure on myself, so I'll also be trying to treat it as a normal meeting, but we're going to try to win it."

Kennett, who finished eighth in his only previous World Under-21 final at rain-soaked Wiener Neustadt, Austria, in 2005, has made his first forays in the Polish ExtraLeague this season.

"But I still haven't ridden at Ostrow," said the two-times British Under-21 champion.

"It is a new track for me. I'm told it is quite a large track and I had to get some new engines for it. But I hope Boycey can sort it out."

Kennett, who learnt the speedway trade on smaller tracks like Eastbourne and Rye House, can struggle on the bigger circuits at times.

"I do tend to lock up a bit too much on the bigger tracks," he said. "But hopefully I can get a bit of practice at Ostrow. I have grown up on the smaller ones, but hopefully I can get better on the big ones because I am learning all the time."

Kennett, who will also line up for Great Britain in the World Under-21 Team Cup final at Abensberg, Germany, on September 23, has climbed to heat leader status with Castle Cover Pirates this year.

That has clearly helped with his World Under-21 title ambitions.

Kennett said: "My form with Poole has been up and down over the last month. I have had some really good meetings and some really bad ones, like at Peterborough where I got one.

"Speedway is funny. One minute you are up and one minute you are down, sometimes when you haven't even changed anything.

"But overall I think I have had a good season. I have been really pleased with my progress.

"Now I'm just concentrating on the under-21 final at Ostrow, though. I've got to put everything into this, give it my best shot and see what happens."