The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the King’s Lynn Stars at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 17^th July in a Knockout Cup semi-final second leg fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

Fred. Olsen Logistics – Fred. Olsen Logistics offers a complete start to finish operation in freight forwarding and logistics services, their offices based in Ipswich and Felixstowe are perfectly located near to Britain’s largest container port with direct links worldwide as well as fantastic road and rail links across the UK.

The Fat Cat Ipswich – They are a small, friendly Free House where you can enjoy a wide selection of up to fifteen real ales served straight from the cask from our temperature-controlled tap room. Also, on offer are up to five real ciders as well as a selection of gins, whiskies, rums, wines and Belgian beers. They are a pub about the beer and the people so whether it is lively debate you’re after or a quiet pint in the greenery filled garden, you can find it there!

The Fat Cat Colchester – Fat Cat Colchester is a well-established free house serving a great selection of ales, wines, spirits and food. You’ll be warmly greeted by their friendly atmosphere, the oak bar with a row of hand pumps advertising a selection of real ales. Above the bar, a blackboard details the wide range of beers sourced locally, nationally and from abroad.

LINE-UPS

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.07 2. Danny King © 6.65 3. Adam Ellis 5.57 4. Tom Brennan 7.09 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.87 6. Dan Thompson 5.09 7. Jason Edwards (G) (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

KING’S LYNN: 1. R/R for Niels-Kristian Iversen 6.74 2. Richard Lawson 6.25 3. Chris Harris 6.69 4. Lewis Kerr (G) 6.04 5. Jan Kvěch 6.49 6. Nicolai Klindt © 6.02 7. Luke Harrison (G) (RS). Team Manager: Rob Lyon

REFEREE: D. Watters

KNOCKOUT CUP DRAW

QUARTER-FINALS

First Leg: Birmingham 33-57 Leicester. Second Leg: Leicester 46-44 Birmingham

First Leg: King’s Lynn 53-37 Oxford. Second Leg: Oxford 37-53 King’s Lynn

First Leg: Belle Vue 40-50 Ipswich. Second Leg: Ipswich 67-23 Belle Vue

SEMI-FINALS

First Leg: Leicester 54-36 Sheffield. Second Leg: Sheffield 44-46 Leicester

First Leg: King’s Lynn 48-42 Ipswich. Second Leg: Ipswich v King’s Lynn (July 17)

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to purchase in advance here and on the gate and are priced at £24 for adults and £22 for concessions (65+) & students (21 & under). Tickets for children aged 6-16 are £1 whilst children 5 & under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3.50 and are available at the stadium. Car parking is free for all supporters. Debit and credit card payments are accepted. Turnstiles open at 6.40pm.

THE PREVIEW

The Witches take on the King’s Lynn Stars on Thursday at Foxhall in the decisive second leg of their Knockout Cup semi-final tie.

The two sides met at the start of June in the first leg at the Adrian Flux Arena and it was the Stars who came away with a six-point victory.

Jordan Jenkins misses out again through injury and as was the case on Monday in Norfolk when the two sides met in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership, Jason Edwards guests at number seven. Team manager Ritchie Hawkins has reverted back to the more familiar riding order for this fixture with Emil Sayfutdinov back at number five.

Ipswich need to win by more than six points on Thursday evening if they are to progress to their third cup final in three years and Leicester await the winners having seen off Sheffield in their semi-final.

MANAGER’S NOTES

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…

“Thursday is the biggest meeting of the season so far. I hope you are all going to be there supporting us, we have a great team that want to win trophies this year. We are six points down but that is more than achievable for these boys. We had a good chat after Monday’s meeting and everyone’s minds are focused on Thursday night and making another cup final. Our ambition is to have won two trophies by the end of the year. We have been very good this year on the whole and we are extremely determined, and we go into it wanting to win by as many as possible. If we all perform as we should do that will be more than six points.

“We have raced King’s Lynn four times already this year and we know we beat them by a good scoreline at home earlier in the year. The track will be completely different this time compared to the one-off bank holiday meeting, so the previous meeting doesn’t hold any significance. We know how good we should be, and the focus is on making the final and looking forward, not back.

“Jason always fits in well with us, he has done a good job in his last two guest appearances and did his job. He is by far the best Rising Star out there that we could use to replace Jordan and he loves being part of the team. We love having him and I know he will be out to impress on Thursday.”

KING’S LYNN STARS

With their play-offs hopes all but over in the league, King’s Lynn will be desperate to finish off the job after building a six-point lead at the Adrian Flux Arena and reach the Knockout Cup final. The Stars will have to perform better than their last visit to Foxhall though when they suffered a 53-37 defeat. The Norfolk side have lost eight away league fixtures with their only two victories on the road coming at Oxford in the league and cup.

The visitors are without Niels-Kristian Iversen with rider replacement in operation at number one. Ben Cook is still missing too, and Lewis Kerr has been booked as a guest. Luke Harrison is at number seven on Thursday.

LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK

Ipswich welcomed King’s Lynn to Foxhall in May in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. The home team went into the fixture at full strength and sitting top of the table with a 100% record whilst the Stars were looking for their first points on the road and were without the injured Ben Cook, with rider replacement in use at number two. Despite that, it was the visitors who would start brightly in the derby in front of a big bank holiday crowd, and they were threatening an upset as they held a six-point lead after seven races. However, that was as good as it got for the Norfolk outfit as Ipswich rattled off eight consecutive heat advantages to win comfortably in the end and preserve their unbeaten start to 2025. Jason Doyle top scored with 12+2.