New Zealand’s Cody Cooper won the battle but Australian Todd Waters is still winning the war across the Tasman.

Waters will take a healthy, 25-point lead into the winter break of this year’s Australian Motocross Championships after the weekend’s fifth round of the series at Conondale.

Cooper won the Superpole at Conondale and then backed that up with fifth in moto one and a convincing win in moto two, his first of the season, and it was enough to claim the overall round win, elevating the New Zealand MX1 champion from fifth in the Australian championship after round four to now be fiourth overall in the championship standings.

Still not quite at full fitness after the head knock he suffered three weeks ago, KTM rider Waters won the first moto before a mistake in the second saw him fall, recovering to be fourth in the moto and on the day behind Suzuki’s Cooper, Suzuki’s Matt Moss and Yamaha’s Billy Mackenzie.

The result means the North Queenslander concedes just two points from his championship lead on the way into a five-week break from which he hopes to emerge back at his scintillating best.

“It was a tough day and I’m very thankful I’ve got a break ahead now to recover,” said Waters.

“I still found myself a little sleepy in that second moto from the concentration. It’s good I haven’t lost too many points, but I’m a racer, so it’s tough to think that we were really charging in the championship and now we’re not, but when you have a head knock it takes a little time to get over it.

“Today I made a little mistake right when I could see the leaders and there was an overall win on the cards, but I went out there and gave it everything – it didn’t pay off this time but next time it will. I’d like to express a big thanks to my team. We’ve hit a hard spot lately and they’ve stuck by me and supported me more than ever so I owe them more than anything.”

In the MX2 category, KTM rider Kale Makeham made it another podium in finishing third behind Yamaha’s Luke Styke and Honda’s Josh Cachia.

Hawke’s Bay’s Kieran Scheele finished 12th in the MX2 class at Conondale, while fellow Kiwi Logan Blackburn, of Te Puke, managed 17th overall on the day.

RESULTS, AUSTRALIAN MX NATIONALS ROUND 5

Go Pro Super Pole Results:

1. C.Cooper, 2. K.Gibbs, 3. B.Mackenzie 4. J.Moss 5. M.Moss

MX1 Round Results:

1. Cody Cooper 66 pts
2. Matt Moss 65 pts
3. Billy Mackenze 63 pts
4. Todd Waters 63 pts
5. Jake Moss 53 pts
6. Kirk Gibbs 49 pts
7. Lawson Bopping 49 pts
8. Adam Monea 47 pts
9. Daniel McCoy 45 pts
10. Tye Simmonds 43 pts
11. Jacob Wright 42 pts
12. Jay Marmont 40 pts
13. Sam Martin 35 pts
14. Robbie Marshall 35 pts
15. Sam Duncanson 31 pts
16. Kieran Tisdale 28 pts
17. James Booth-Elliot 25 pts
18. Joshua Kilvington 24 pts
19. Rhys Hobson 23 pts
20. Jesse O’Farrell 21 pts

MX1 championship standings (after five of 10 rounds):

1. Todd Waters 332 pts
2. Matt Moss 307 pts
3. Billy Mackenzie 289 pts
4. Cody Cooper 268 pts
5. Lawson Bopping 266 pts
6. Adam Monea 232 pts
7. Tye Simmonds 232 pts
8. Jake Moss 230 pts
9. Kirk Gibbs 230 pts
10. Daniel McCoy 209 pts
11. Jay Marmont 191 pts
12. Jacob Wright 176 pts
13. Sam Martin 166 pts
14. James Booth Elliot 150 pts
15. Robbie Marshall 143 pts
16. Cody Mackie 137 pts
17. Ford Dale 133 pts
18. Kieran Tisdale 107 pts
19. Mitch Norris 70 pts
20. Cheyne Boyd 65 pts

MX2 Round Results:

1. Luke Styke 67 pts
2. Josh Cachia 67 pts
3. Kale Makeham 56 pts
4. Jay Wilson 50 pts
5. Beau Ralston 49 pts
6. Takeshi Katsuya 48 pts
7. Luke Clout 47 pts
8. Ryan Marmont 44 pts
9. Brock Winston 44 pts
10 Dylan Long 44 pts
11. Nick Scott 42 pts
12. Kieran Scheele 38 pts
13. Geran Stapleton 37 pts
14. Dylan Peterson 36 pts
15. Tristen Cachia 29 pts
16. Daniel McEntee 29 pts
17. Logan Blackburn 27 pts
18. Luke Weaver 26 pts
19. Joel Dinsdale 23 pts
20. Wade Hunter 21 pts

MX2 championship standings (after five of 10 rounds):

1. Luke Styke 336 pts
2. Luke Clout 286 pts
3. Josh Cachia 279 pts
4. Brock Winston 258 pts
5. Kale Makeham 255 pts
6. Takeshi Katsuya 212 pts
7. Geran Stapleton 208 pts
8. Ryan Marmont 196 pts
9. Dylan Long 187 pts
10. Kayne Lamont 183 pts
11. Matt Ryan 160 pts
12. Rhys Carter 159 pts
13. Tristen Cachia 154 pts
14. Wade Hunter 144 pts
15. Kieran Scheele 118 pts
16. John Prutti 103 pts
17. Luke Wilson 89 pts
18. Daniel McEntee 86 pts
19. Dylan Peterson 81 pts
20. Jedidiah Cornthwaite 80 pts