Newport Wasps' Craig Watson (pictured) dominated the Champions Chase at King's Lynn last night, winning all his five races to take the title in magnificent style.

It was a fitting reward for the Australian and his mechanics who had worked around the clock after he blew an engine in the final heat of the Wasps' heart-breaking Premier League defeat at Reading on Monday. Watson revealed repairs were still being made in the pits at the Norfolk Arena.

He said: "The engine I used all night wasn't ready until this morning and then we finished my spare engine here at the track.

"At the start, just reaching the final would have been an achievement for me although by my third ride I was pretty confident I could win the title.

"I still didn't expect to go through the card, so staying unbeaten makes my victory all the sweeter."

The chase format hadn't been used for a big meeting in this country for three decades and it forced the riders to survive each race as at least one of them was eliminated from every heat.

Thirty-two top Premier League riders took part, knowing only twelve of them would get more than two outings with no second chances for mechanical failures.

Watson began by beating Glasgow's George Stancl and home rider Kevin Doolan in heat five with Berwick's Claus Kristensen making an early exit in last place.

He also led the whole of heat 13 as Rye House's Chris Neath clung on to second, knocking out Workington's Carl Stonehewer and Hull's Joel Parsons.

It was a miserable night for the Comets fans and their two big contenders for the title as Simon Stead had gone out in heat 11 behind Sheffield's Andrew Moore and Edinburgh's Rory Schlein.

Watson maintained his unbeatable form in heat 17 as he overcame the night's most aggressive rider, Reading's Matej Zagar, and the meeting's other Racer, Andrew Appleton, while it was Schlein's turn to head home.

Local favourite Tomas Topinka seemed the biggest threat in the first semi-final but the Czech was only in third place when retiring on the third lap, leaving Watson and Somerset's John Jorgensen to end Moore's hopes. Zagar took the second semi-final with Newcastle's recent signing, Jason Lyons, just hanging on to second place to eliminate Glasgow's Shane Parker as well as Appleton.

When Watson drew the inside gate for the final his triumph seemed guaranteed but he made his worst start of the night before sweeping past Jorgensen on the opening lap and maintaining a narrow lead for the rest of the race to add the title to his Welsh Open success.

Zagar snatched third place to the disgust of the Newcastle contingent who weren't impressed with the way the Slovenian forced his way past Lyons.

As Watson signed autographs for the loyal band of Newport fans in a bumper crowd of around 2,000, jubilant Wasps promoter Tim Stone said: "This is a good boost for our club and it was a well deserved win for Craig as he beat top-form riders in every race with the pressure of the sudden-death format.

"We'll make sure Craig can celebrate this victory with all our fans at Sunday's home match against the Isle of Wight and I hope as many as possible of the Newport public will join us to salute our greatest rider of the modern era."