IT WAS apt that Pirates put on a champions’ display in front of two legendary sportsmen who were guests of honour at Wimborne Road last night.

Ivan Mauger, the record-sharing six-times speedway world champion, and Joe Calzaghe, unbeaten world super-middleweight boxing champion, were watching the shale action intently in the stands.

The Kiwi, who lives in Australia, was in town promoting his new book ‘The Will to Win’.

And the man whom the other six-times world champion, ex-Pirate Tony Rickardsson, rubs shoulders with, took great pride in reminiscing with a bumper 3,000 crowd about his pioneering 21-pointer for Newcastle at Poole in 1966, the first seven-ride maximum in British speedway.

The Welshman, who won all 46 of his professional fights, triumphed in 32 of them by knockouts.

Well, he and Mauger witnessed Poole’s finest team for many a year lay down their own champions’ credentials with a spectacular 23-point knockout blow of outclassed Hammers.

Castle Cover Pirates, led by British Grand Prix champion Chris Holder and world under-21 champion Darcy Ward, produced a super display to show why they are out-and-out league title favourites.

Ward, spurred on by confirmation of his inclusion in Australia’s World Team Cup side earlier in the day, must have impressed Mauger with the way he used every inch of the track to top score for Poole with 10 paid 11.

Chris Harris, Britain’s domestic champion, beat Holder twice, but the Aussie’s defeat in a terrific heat 13 contest was no disgrace.

In fact, it was a legendary battle, with Harris storming out in front from the gate and Holder passing him twice during an extraordinary second circuit in which the lead changed hands four times.

Harris finally roared inside Poole’s spearhead on the third turn, third circuit, before storming on to take the chequered flag.

If it hadn’t been for Bomber’s scintillating unbeaten 15-point tally – in which he also gunned down Ward and Pirates captain Davey Watt on a tactical – Lakeside may well have slumped to another 70-24 demolition at Poole like in April.

Mauger probably already knows Holder has what it takes to lift a senior world title if he can fulfil all his potential.

So it was a great pity a heavy rainstorm caused abandonment with one race to go and prevent Holder having the chance to gain revenge in heat 15.

Watt celebrated his elevation to Aussie national captain with a spectacular opening lap third-to-first burst to beat Adam Shields and Stuart Robson in heat four.

He’s joined in Australia’s team by Holder, Ward, Troy Batchelor and Rory Schlein, with Jason Crump missing the WTC to undergo an operation and Leigh Adams having retired from internationals.

Pirates line up with the same seven at Eastbourne in the league tonight (7.30pm).

Eastbourne: 1 Zagar, 2 R’r for Jedrzejak, 3 Kling, 4 Woodward, 5 Kylmakorpi, 6 S Gustafsson, 7 L Dryml.

Pirates 56: 1 Chris Holder (1-3-3-2) 9, 2 Leon Madsen (0-1-1-2*) 4+1, 3 Bjarne Pedersen (2*-2-3-2*) 9+2, 4 Artur Mroczka (3-1*-2*-2*) 8+3, 5 Davey Watt (3-3-1*-1*) 8+2, 6 Darcy Ward (3-2*-2-3) 10+1, 7 Jason Doyle (2*-fell exc-3-3) 8+1. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Lakeside 33: 1 (guest) Chris Harris (3-3-6^-3) 15, 2 Kauko Nieminen (2*-0-4^-0) 6+1, 3 Daniel Davidsson (0-0-1-0) 1, 4 Jonas Davidsson (1-1-0-1) 3, 5 Adam Shields (2-2-1-0) 5, 6 Paul Hurry (ret-0-0-1) 1, 7 Stuart Robson (1-1*-0-0) 2+1. Team manager: Jon Cook.

Referee: Chris Gay.

Match points: Poole Pirates 3 Lakeside 0.

Ht 1: Harris, Nieminen, Holder, Madsen, 59.62 (1-5).

Ht 2: Ward, Doyle, Robson, Hurry (retired), 59.56 (6-6).

Ht 3: Mroczka, Pedersen, J Davidsson, D Davidsson, 60.16 (11-7).

Ht 4: (re-run) Watt, Shields, Robson, Doyle (fell excluded), 59.46 (14-10).

Ht 5: Harris, Pedersen, Mroczka, Nieminen, 59.20 (17-13).

Ht 6: Holder, Shields, Madsen, Hurry, 59.57 (21-15).

Ht 7: Watt, Ward, J Davidsson, D Davidsson, 60.02 (26-16).

Ht 8: Doyle, Nieminen^ (tactical rider, double points), Madsen, Robson, 60.64 (30-20).

Ht 9: Pedersen, Mroczka, Shields, Hurry, 60.72 (35-21).

Ht 10: Holder, Madsen, D Davidsson, J Davidsson, 60.31 (40-22).

Ht 11: Harris^ (tactical rider, double points), Ward, Watt, Nieminen, 60.20 (43-28).

Ht 12: Doyle, Pedersen, Hurry, D Davidsson, 61.39 (48-29).

Ht 13: Harris, Holder, Watt, Shields, 60.00 (51-32).

Ht 14: Ward, Mroczka, J Davidsson, Robson, 60.26 (56-33).

Abandoned after 14 heats rain, result stands