Wolverhampton Wolves racing ended early by storm

Parrys International Wolves narrowly missed out 41-37 at Foxhall in a meeting that took an unexpected twist.

On the second hottest day on record, the fixture was brought to a halt two races early after a torrential storm caused the fixture to be abandoned.

The Monmore men got off to a bright start with skipper Rory Schlein, reserve Kyle Howarth and Swedish star Jacob Thorssell making the most of their lightning reactions to win the first three races and open up an early four-point lead.

But Ipswich struck back with three heat winners of their own and found themselves two ahead after six with a bolt out of the blue.

Thorssell linked up with Nick Morris for a 5-1 in the seventh to move Wolves back ahead before former Wolf Cameron Heeps combined with Jake Allen for the hosts to rain on Wolves’ parade.

A sequence of shared heats followed and by the time Ipswich trickled home with another 4-2 in heat 13, conditions were deemed too dangerous to complete the meeting, leaving everyone in the stadium thunderstruck.

Aussie ace Sam Masters said: “It’s been the warmest I’ve ever known England on the way here today and nobody would ever have saw us going home early because of this kind of weather.

“It is what it is though and at the end of the day we’re all going home in one piece and that’s the main thing.

“It was the right call to call it when they did because the track was very tricky for the second part of the meeting.

“In what turned out to be the last race, I don’t think I went over half gas and I was still quicker than the guy (Krystian Pieszczek) who won in front of me.

“It wasn’t safe at that point as I’ve said and unfortunately we couldn’t complete the meeting.

“I thought we could’ve won, especially with the way we started, but another point at Ipswich isn’t the worst thing in the world.

“We can’t complain too much; we’ve built in a way on Monday’s win over Peterborough and it could prove to be an important point so we’ll take it.”

Wolves now take a week’s break from racing before returning at home to Belle Vue on Monday, August 5 (7.30).

Ipswich 41: Cameron Heeps 11, Krystian Pieszczek 7, Jake Allen 6+2, Danny King 6, Richard Lawson 6, Chris Harris 3+1, Edward Kennett 2.

Wolverhampton 37: Jacob Thorssell 9+1, Kyle Howarth 7+4, Rory Schlein 7, Sam Masters 7, Nick Morris 5+1, Ryan Douglas 1, Luke Becker 1.