In this latest edition of Rated, MotoOnline.com.au takes a look at select performances from riders finishing within the top 10 following Horham’s season opening round of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals series.

Image: Rhys van Slooten.

Rider: Matt Moss
Rating: A
Rundown: The National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki rider looked like the Moss of 2013/2014 again in Horsham. After taking a strong third in moto one, the New South Wales native clearly entered moto two feeling comfortable and quickly made his way to the front checking out from his competitors and claiming the overall win. It was a pivotal victory for Moss following a tough 2015 season riddled with injuries and sub-par results, everyone knew Moss could turn things around and be back on top, it was just a matter of when it would happen.

Rider: Dean Ferris
Rating: B
Rundown: Returning from the MXGP series, there was plenty of hype surrounding CDR Yamaha’s Dean Ferris entering the season opening event. Ferris didn’t disappoint though, he went out and took the moto one victory in convincing fashion – he meant business. But then in moto two we saw the rider from Kyogle in New South Wales make a critical error all on his own, throwing away any chances of an overall victory. Ferris finished the day in third overall and he was visibly upset with himself, if he can remove errors like this from his race day he will be a serious threat all year long.

Rider: Todd Waters
Rating: B+
Rundown: Wilson’s Coolair Motul Suzuki team rider Todd Waters’ result may not seem worthy of a B+ rating being a rider of his calibre, but you have to realise what he dealt with on the day. During moto one the returning MXGP contender was right in the mix with the front runners before slowly fading back, it wasn’t until I spoke with Waters before moto two that he mentioned he had a flat front tyre for much of the race. A flat rear, yes you can deal with that relatively well, a flat front? That’s a whole different story. Waters put in some serious damage control and managed a ninth in moto one before backing it up with a solid third in moto two for fifth overall, solid effort!

Rider: Jay Wilson
Rating: C
Rundown: The 2015 Motul MX Nationals MX2 champion entered his rookie season in the MX1 class with a lot of eyes on him. Not necessarily expected to light the world on fire, but everyone knows this guy has a tonne of skill, he’s fit, smart and knows how to win. Aboard his Crankt Protein Honda Racing CRF450R, Wilson kicked off his first event in the premier class with a promising fourth place finish in the GoPro Super Pole. On a circuit that brings back bad memories of his brother’s frighting crash just 12 months ago, Wilson rode so a consistent top 10 overall finish. Was he pumped on his efforts post-race? No, not really, but it’s a base to work from and you can bet your bottom dollar he’ll improve as the season moves on.

Image: Rhys van Slooten.

Rider: Kirk Gibbs
Rating: A-
Rundown: The defending champion entered round one as a bit of a question mark on the minds of many after spending quite some time sidelined following a serious injury late last year. But the KTM Motocross Racing Team rider looked like he hadn’t missed a beat, landing himself in the GoPro Super Pole and claiming two strong second place finishes in each moto for second overall. Thanks to his Super Pole result, the South Australian actually finished the event with the same points as Moss, but it was the Kawasaki credited with the overall win and he will carry the red plate solely into round two.

Rider: Caleb Ward
Rating: A
Rundown: The sole KTM Motocross Racing Team MX2 rider was impressive at Horsham, for anyone saying he was just a sand rider, it’s fair to say he put that theory to sleep. Ward took a convincing moto one victory, he even described it as a ‘Sunday trail ride’ in a post race interview with MotoOnline.com.au! If so, that’s one seriously fast trail ride. Moto two saw the Queenslander far down in the order early on, forcing him to battle his way back through the pack. Eventually Ward made his way to fifth overall and claimed the round win and series leading red plate to kick off his 2016 campaign with the factory KTM crew.

Rider: Jed Beaton
Rating: B
Rundown: The DPH Motorsport rider started his day at Horsham on a great note claiming the top spot in MX2 qualifying aboard his YZ250F. The Tasmanian’s moto one finish didn’t reflect his qualifying position exactly, Beaton crossed the line in sixth place, not a bad finish, but it’s obviously not where he wanted to be. Moto two saw Beaton turn things around, he was in the thick of things throughout the entire moto battling with the a range of the top contenders throughout the race. Eventually finishing second behind Serco Yamaha’s Wilson Todd, Beaton salvaged a fifth overall to begin his 2016 championship campaign.

Rider: Jake Moss
Rating: B+
Rundown: Returning to the MX2 class in 2016, the National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki rider was someone we weren’t quite sure about. Obviously he has achieved some very impressive results both domestically and internationally in his career, but following a tough year away from racing, would he return and really turn some heads? We think he did that with a 2-4 moto scorecard on the day. Moss found himself on the third step of the podium at the end of the day in a class many thought a rider of his age would struggle to return and be competitive in, awesome effort.