AS THE famous song by The Beatles goes: “I get by with a little help from my friends.”

Pirates racer Zach Cook was born 32 years after that legendary single was released, but the lyric well and truly holds some substance as he develops in his speedway career.

In his second season in Britain, the talented 23-year-old is still learning his trade in the sport having once again made the journey over from Cowra with brother Ben this summer.

The duo are staying with team boss Neil Middleditch as well as fellow Aussie and former Pirates star Brady Kurtz at their famous base in Sturminster Marshall.

But it is not just in the SGB Championship that Zach is plying his trade this season – as famously the Aussies that have ridden at Poole stick together.

With some help from both Chris and Jack Holder, Cook is also plying his trade in the Under-24 Ekstraliga league in Poland as a member of the Torun outfit.

And it was through the Holders, who have both represented Torun, that the Pirates charger earned his chance.

Asked about his experience of riding in Poland, Cook told the Daily Echo: “Luckily, I have got some pretty good mates in Jack and Chris Holder! They pretty much sorted me out there.

“Last year, Jack told me to come over and have a practice round Torun. I took an engine over there and we got wind of this new under-24 league which was coming about.

“Once we sort of worked out what was going on there, Jack helped me a lot. Pushed the club and got me a position there.

“He has looked after me and without those boys I wouldn’t have had the opportunity, so I’d like to thank them.

“As a kid, you grow up watching these tracks on TV at the GPs and to be there doing it is pretty surreal. I can’t thank those boys enough.

“They have helped me out throughout my whole career and it’s nice.

“Just little things behind the scenes I may not know or pick up on – they can say ‘do this, do that’ and it helps a lot.”

Cook has helped Torun to fourth spot in the Polish league at present, consistently scoring healthy points himself.

Back in Britain, he totalled seven paid nine during Pirates’ 55-35 victory over Scunthorpe on Wednesday.

Victories over the Scorpions and his former club Plymouth a night previously, were made even sweeter by having his parents Mick and Liz flying across the globe to watch their sons in action.

“They got here last Thursday morning, so they are over for a month. They are going to go to all the meetings between now and then,” said Cook.

“I don’t know how many air miles you can do in 24 hours – it’s a long flight!

“They have been pretty lucky this year. At Poole every meeting and a lot of the away tracks they have been doing the streams – they are up at four o’clock in the morning watching them.

“It’s a lot different in person being here. I definitely want to be putting on a good show!

“They have been wanting to get here but with the restrictions last year it wasn’t possible. Finally they are able to do it this year and make the most of it.”

Quizzed on what it was like following in the footsteps of a number of famous riders to stay at Middleditch’s base, the Aussie ace replied: “It’s good. We have me, my brother and Brady Kurtz living there.

“I am actually from the same town as Brady at home so it just makes it sort of feel a bit more like home.

“Middlo and Suzi are great to live with, they look after us and it’s a place to feel at home. It’s good.”

Cook, of course, arrived as a special guest to help Pirates seal a league and cup double in 2021 – despite being on the books at Plymouth.

And now the schedule is getting towards the business end of the campaign in Britain, the Poole number four is eager to kick on.

“My past few meetings I have been on a bit of a downer but Wednesday was a good bounce back,” he said.

“I was pretty consistent throughout the year. For me to drop down was sort of annoying. Hopefully now I am out of that and I can just keep the consistency going.

“I wasn’t having massively high point-scores but I was consistent, just doing my job and that’s what I want to do.

“I don’t want to let the team down, just do my job and you can’t go wrong."