The last 2023 Peterborough Panther has left the building!

The 27 year-old Aussie, who was wanted by several top-flight clubs, has signed for 2022 Premiership champions Belle Vue.

It means seven of the Panthers riders who wore purple last season have now been fixed up elsewhere following the club’s closure due to being given notice to quit the East of England Arena.

Ex-skipper Chris Harris has joined Oxford, youngster Jordan Jenkins has gone to Ipswich and Niels-Kristian Iversen, Ben Basso, Vadim Tarasenko and Patryk Wojdylo have all hit the A47 to join Panthers owner Keith Chapman at his main club King’s Lynn.

Cook was the last to land a new team, but had a pick of at least three Premiership sides all desperate to sign him.

By going to Belle Vue he joins Australian team boss Mark Lemon and has boosted his chances of getting a surprise call up to his national team at next summer’s Speedway of Nations World Championship which is being raced at the National Speedway Stadium, his new home track.

He also links up with fellow Aussies Brady Kurtz and former world under 21 title-holder Jaimon Lidsey who are back with the Aces for another season.

Cook was probably the rider of the season for Panthers and ended the campaign as the highest overall points scorer, being an ever-present in all 24 league and cup matches.

He began the season at reserve, but climbed into the top five, taking his average from 4.06 to 6.71 in his first experience of racing against the world’s best in the Premiership.

An asset of Championship Poole, he helped the Pirates to victory in the early season BSN Series although they lost in both the Grand Final and the Knock Out Cup Final to Glasgow and Scunthorpe respectively.

Cook has also agreed a new deal at Wimborne Road, signing on for his fourth consecutive season in a road at the Dorset outfit.