Gregorio Lavilla has a healthy points advantage as he heads for the fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Mondello Park but the defending title holder knows all too well that the opposition is closing in on him.

Both Shane Byrne, the title winner of three years ago, prior to a couple of terms in World MotoGP, and Karl Harris showed in the previous races at Oulton Park that they have the pace to test the brilliant Spanish rider to the full.

The Airwaves Ducati rider completed the daily double at the Cheshire circuit, but he was hard pressed to maintain his superiority, taking the verdict by a split second in each to increase his lead in the title stakes to 61 over his team-mate Leon Haslam.

Byrne was riding through a bout of sickness, but, the hard testing work he had previously carried out on the Rizla Suzuki paid dividends and despite his illness he was back to his championship winning speed and style. He is a man in a hurry to re-establish himself at the sharp end of the domestic series and sees the Irish round as the place to really kick-start his season.

That is also the case for Harris, who is riding fast and hard aboard the HM Plant Honda, and eager to taste the victor's champagne in the top flight for the first time in a career that has already seen him win the British Supersport crown on three occasions. The Sheffield rider is on fire and intends to 'put one over' Lavilla. "I was hoping to top him at Oulton, but will do at Mondello."

The fightback by these two talented riders is adding spice to the action. Haslam, might be the teamster of Lavilla, but that does not stop him wanting the title – there are no team orders and the young Derbyshire rider is eager to get ahead of the game.

Lavilla however remains quietly confident. He is meticulous in his preparations and goes into Mondello Park with good knowledge of the tight, twisting course which he rode for the first time last year – then he took a third and a victory. This year, he expects at least the same.

He is far from complacent. After his successes at Oulton Park he commented: "I do not think about the title – remember last year, Michael Rutter was 65 points clear, but he did not win the championship. I think only about each race, and taking as many points as possible from it."

That message cannot be lost on Ryuichi Kiyonari, the young Japanese rider now in his third season in the championship. He had been expected to pose the major threat to Lavilla, but so far, despite having a factory prepared HM Plant Honda, he has won only once, and is lying third in the standings. He had a victory and a third place last time at Mondello and now he needs a confidence boosting action replay.