Dunlop wins Senior Classic to complete hat-trick

Michael Dunlop won the Senior Classic race on Tuesday to complete a hat-trick of wins at this year’s Classic TT in the Isle of Man.

The Team Classic Suzuki rider overhauled early leader Jamie Coward to take victory by 11.68 seconds from the Yorkshireman, with Manx rider Nathan Harrison third.

Coward and Harrison were both aboard Greenall Racing Kawasakis.

Dunlop set the fastest lap of the race at 128.596mph on his final circuit as he made it seven wins over the Mountain Course this year, the Ballymoney rider having secured four successes at the Isle of Man TT in June.

The 37-year-old also won the Lightweight Classic race on his Milenco by Padgett’s Honda and the Formula One Classic event, both on Sunday.

Coward was runner-up in the Formula One, with Mike Browne third, while Michael Sweeney was second in the Lightweight.

John McGuinness won the Historic Senior event on a Paton in the year that he celebrates 30 years since he first competed over the Mountain Course.

Northern Ireland rider Paul Jordan took the honours in the Historic Junior Classic for the second year in a row, with Dominic Herbertson and McGuinness completing the podium places.

Republic of Ireland competitor Joseph Loughlin was the Ultra-Lightweight Classic victor, while England’s Rob Hodson won the Junior 600 Classic race.

Scottish rider Johnny Stewart won four Manx Grand Prix races at the meeting, the first rider ever to secure a quadruple in the same week at the meeting.

Stewart stood on the top step of the rostrum in the Sportbike, Supersport, Junior and Senior Manx Grand Prix outings.

The schedule of the meeting was altered to condense all the races into a four-day period between Saturday and Tuesday in anticipation of inclement weather in the latter half of the week.