SWINDON Robins ace Justin Sedgmen is feeling "very confident'' as he prepares to launch his assault on the Australian Championship this weekend.

Sedgmen, 23, is looking to hit the ground running as the four-round series gets underway in Kurri Kurri on Saturday.

With new Robins’ teammate Jason Doyle plus fellow big names Chris Holder and Troy Batchelor ruled out, Sedgmen is likely to be a strong contender for the crown and is in good winter form.

“I am going into the Championship Series feeling very confident,'' he said.

"I feel as though I am one of the riders who should be challenging for top spot come round four at Mildura and I will do everything in my power to make sure I’m in there challenging.

“I read Sam’s (Masters) comments this week about it being an open field and I couldn’t agree more. There will be a few other riders who will feel they can make a massive push for the title, and I’m determined to make sure that I will be one of the guys in the mix at the end.

“The last few years have been great in the Championship, but last year Jason (Doyle) ran away with it and made it very difficult for the likes of me and Sam to catch him.

“We have the chance now to make our own history and claim that championship for ourselves. I want to prove to everyone that I’m not only good enough to win it, but I deserve to win the title.”