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MAY 13, 2008: It would be a brave punter indeed who would bet against Charles Alabaster.
The teenager from Raetihi, just outside Wanganui, cemented himself even more solidly into the role as champion-in-waiting with his whoa-to-go win at the latest round of the North Island Junior Cross-country Champion ships near Waipukurau at the weekend.
The 90-minute marathon was round four of the North Island series and, because he had won the previous three rounds, he was under no pressure for him to win on Sunday.
But Sunday's race doubled as a qualifying race for the junior nationals -- round one of which is to be staged near Pahiatua this weekend -- so that meant he'd treat it like any other race, very seriously indeed.
The 15-year-old Yamaha ace charged into the lead soon after the shotgun start and then never looked back.
He had local motocross ace Kieran Scheele for company throughout the early part of the race but when Alabaster clicked into top gear on his YZ250F four-stroke machine, it was sayonara to the challenger.
Otane rider Scheele eventually finished second, but he was three minutes behind and never a threat to Alabaster over the final stages of the race.
"Kieran and I battled for the first few laps but then I got away from him and didn't tire at all," said Alabaster.
"The bike was great. I couldn't ask for more from it.
"I feel I am on form and looking forward now to racing at Pahiatua this coming weekend."
The junior championship section of the New Zealand Cross-country Championships is over two rounds, sharing the day's programme with the senior racing at Pahiatua this Sunday and at Ashburton on Sunday, June 14.
