POOLE Comets starlet Nathan Goulden shrugged off the effects of a foot injury to win the British Under-10 Championship held in Manchester, writes Gordon Day.

Heavy overnight rain made conditions tricky but the Poole Comets youngster produced a top- class performance to go unbeaten and take the title with a 20-point maximum.

Goulden won his opening race in fine style, making a perfect start to head off the challenge of Harry Stanbury (Exeter) and Charlie Wade (Hull).

However, his title challenge seemed to have hit the dust when he was involved in a dramatic crash with Oliver Wright (Kesgrave) on the pit turn.

There was a lengthy delay while Goulden received treatment for a foot injury, but the Poole racer eventually took his place at the restart and made a lightning getaway to hold off Wright.

Goulden kept the pressure on by securing victory in his next two races in fine style, but with Wright and Wade keeping up their winning ways, the title chase remained wide open.

Wright held off Wade to win heat 18 and finish with a 19-point haul, leaving Goulden with the task of winning his final race in order to be crowned champion.

The south coast ace showed no sign of nerves as he made a jet- propelled start and survived a determined four-lap challenge from Manchester’s John White to take the title.

Result: Nathan Goulden (Poole) 20, Oliver Wright (Kesgrave) 19, Charlie Wade (Hull) 17, Ben Dickinson (Manchester) 17, Harry Stanbury (Exeter) 15, Archie Freeman (Northumbria) 14, Joe Quarmby (Manchester) 14, Oliver Reynolds (Kesgrave) 14, Daniel Miller (Bury) 12, Rory Hayward (Leicester) 12, John White (Manchester) 10, Charlie Dickinson (Manchester) 10, Charlie Burgess (Manchester) 8, Charlie Braybrook (Exeter) 7, Thom Deakin (Bury) 6, Duncan Whalley (Bury) 5.

  • The British Under-10 Girls’ Championship saw Poole’s Jasmine Oddie take a creditable fifth place in a competitive final.

Oddie finished with a 12-point total and was unlucky not to finish in the top three.

Exeter’s Rosie Tidball triumph- ed with a 16-point maximum, while Manchester’s Emily Burgess was second after a run-off with Daisy Steward (Kesgrave) and Sophia Sinclair- Black (Leicester).

Result: Rosie Tidball (Exeter) 16, Emily Burgess (Manchester) 14, Daisy Steward (Kesgrave) 14, Sophia Sinclair-Black (Leicester) 14, Jasmine Oddie (Poole) 12, Amanda Rigley (Leicester) 11, Shannon Harper (Swindon) 10, Sian Raynor (Leicester) 9, Angel Etheridge (Bury) 8.