Newport promoter Tim Stone today sang the praises of unassuming rider Mads Korneliussen who finished runner-up in the Danish Under-21 championship at the weekend.

Korneliussen, in his first full season of Premier League racing was beaten in a run-off by Elite League rider Kenneth Bjerre who is now in his third season of British riding, beginning with Newcastle, but now a heat leader with Belle Vue.

The 21-year-old Korneliussen said: "I was pretty disappointed to lose but later in the evening I realised it was quite a good achievement to get so far."

Korneliussen is still finding his feet on the British circuit and he added: "I am enjoying the second half of the season more than the first because I have now ridden most of the tracks.

"I know we have not had a good season but I think we have been unlucky all season." Stone said: "He is very unassuming person but it was a very good achievement to finish runner-up against a rider who is in the Elite League.

He is a very modest, a genuine nice guy and to reach the final just shows the progress he has made. He is a very good rider and capable of making even more progress."

Bjerre and Korneliussen are teammates with Slangerup in the Danish League while Korneliussen's Newport teammate Kristian Lund is with Outrup.

Wasps are at home to Somerset in the Premier League on Sunday (tapes up 4pm) and Stone will be hoping for a dramatic change in the weather which resulted in last Sunday's meeting with Berwick postponed and the Isle of Wight trip abandoned. The 'kids for a quid' admission is still in operation - so long as they are accompanied by an adult.

Teenager Jamie Westacott, in his first season, will represent Newport at the Conference Riders' championship meeting to be staged at Rye House a week on Saturday. Mavericks' team chief Peter Towersey said: "He has had a few knock-backs since he moved from reserve in to the main body of the team. But if he plays his cards right he will get there.

"But, like all youngsters, he wants to get there yesterday and fly straight to the top. I think another season in the Conference will do him the world of good."

"He's represented the Great Britain Under-21 team in Sweden and Reading have ridden him in the Premier League and since he moved from reserve with us he's not scored so well. He's found it harder, but that's all part of the learning but all this has happened in his first."

Wasps' postponed Premier League meeting on the Isle of Wight - halted after six heats on Tuesday night because of rain - will now be run a week today in place of the ill-fated Premier Trophy meeting.

Newport trailed 25-11 after making a flying start when Carl Wilkinson and Korneliussen gave them a 5-1 victory.

Both Newport and the Islanders' promotions agreed to run the abandoned Isle of Wight Premier Trophy at the Hayley Stadium but they were refused permission.

The GMB Mavericks are in action tomorrow at Oxford in a double header Conference League meeting, Weymouth tracking first.

GMB Mavericks: Karl Mason, Sam Hurst, Paul Candy, Nick Mallett, Jamie Westacott, Billy Legg, Karlis Ezergailis.