SWINDON Robins skipper Troy Batchelor is confident his season is on an upward trajectory as he seeks to build on his first Grand Prix podium finish of the season tonight.

Aussie Batchelor arrives in Malilla for this evening’s Swedish Grand Prix off the back of a third-place finish at the Latvian event last weekend.

It was a second championship podium for the 27-year-old, who claimed silver at the Danish Grand Prix last year, and confirmation to the rider himself that his 2015 campaign is heading in the right direction.

A crash in Swindon’s season-opening Elite League meeting against Poole on Easter Monday was a significant setback for Batchelor, leaving him with a niggling shoulder injury and resulting in some less-than-stellar early form.

Another spill in this month’s British Grand Prix, aggravating the same injury, also did not bode well but last week’s Daugavpils performance was a promising response, leaving him 12th in the overall standings with seven races remaining.

“I got back on the rostrum for the second time in my career and I’m stoked with that,’’ Batchelor, who will embark on a hectic round of four Swindon matches in five days, starting with Monday’s visit to Wolverhampton, told speedwaygp.com.

“Hard work does pay off. Maybe it doesn’t straight away, but it will do sometime.

“Last year it took me half a season to get going, and maybe this year is the same. I’ve had a few niggling injuries, problems and food poisoning – things like that.

“But I said everything was in the right place before Cardiff and it pretty much was. I’m happy with things; I just need to keep it there, keep working on it and focus on racing.”