The new chicane at Mathers Cross, although it proved more or less universally hated, had the desired effect, of slowing the bikes down at what has always been an accident black spot.

Holding the first Superbike race to allow the track to dry played right into the hands of John McGuinness.

He started the race on cut slicks, and by the time the race ended, he was running on an almost perfectly dry road. McGuinness took the race win, after coming from behind, and passing Manxman Conor Cummings. The official finishing distance was just .2 of a second.

Taking a fighting third place, Alistair Seeley was the best Ulster rider, the Carrick man just .3 adrift of Cummings. Keith Amor had been running well in touch with the leaders, but was passed by Seeley towards the end of the race. he was only a further .2 back of Seeley. Stuart Easton, the man who went through the speed trap in practice at 204mph, took fifth with Bruce Anstey sixth.

The local performancers were Denver Robb, who took 13th place with a fastest lap of 114.679mph. Crumlin's Stephen Thompson ended the race in 14th place, just .3 of a second behind the Ballymena man. Stephen's quickest lap was 113.470mph. Randalstown's Gerard Kinghan finished in 23rd place, with a quickest circuit of 112.229mph.

The first Supersport 600 race was next to the line. It turned into little less than a dogfight, with any one of 7 or 8 riders capable of winning. At times there were four riders almost touching elbows at well over 160mph on the run to University Corner.

The win eventually went to Alistair Seeley, after the top three went into Juniper Chicane abreast. Seeley let go his brakes, and nosed ahead, holding to to take a famous win from Ian Hutchinson. Hutchy was .7 behind Seeley, while Michael Dunlop came home in third place. Keith Amor rode a Ten Kate Honda, after his mate Jonathan Rea brokered a deal for the popular Scot. He was just .1 of a second behind Dunlop at the finish, with John McGuinness and Ryan Farquhar all within 2 seconds of Seeley. A brilliant race.

The only local man to finish here was Jack McIlvenna, from Randalstown. On the Moira Clubs R6, Jack finished in 22nd place, having a fastest lap of 109.569mph.

There was an emotional win in the 125 class for Paul Robinson, 30 years after his father Mervyn lost his life in a crash at Mathers Cross.

After the warm up lap, William Dunlop, Robinson's cousin, changed the main jet on his Honda, much to the consternation of one of the grid marshals, who came to the team complaining about the work they carried out on the line.

Off the line Paul Robinson led, but it wasnt long till Dunlop came by. William had some 2.5 seconds of a lead at the end of the first lap, with Robinson over 3 seconds ahead of Isle of Man resident Chris Palmer.

Dunlop retired with an oil leak on lap two, while Palmer also called it a day with a misfire at the end of the next lap.