Padgett's Honda man Ian Hutchinson has won his second-ever Isle of Man TT race this lunchtime, adding to the victory he took in the Supersport class two years ago - but it was heartbreak again for Bruce Anstey as he ran out of fuel while leading on the final lap.
The Relentless Suzuki rider spluttered to a halt at Brandywell on lap four while protecting a ten-second lead over Hutchinson and 17 seconds over eventual second-placed man Guy Martin, whose radiator wan't holding enough pressure on the second lap. Scotsman Keith Amor took the final podium place with last year's winner Steve Plater in fourth.
Anstey looked like he was about to make up for last year's disappointment when he was disqualified after winning the first Supersport race for an illegal exhaust and set the lap record on his second circuit with a speed of 126.549mph.
The race looked to be an Anstey and Martin production as the Kiwi was leading by just over a second through Glen Helen on lap one with Ryan Farquhar in third and Hutchinson disputing fourth with John McGuinness, who was leading on the road.
By the time Martin got to Ramsey, however, he had pegged Anstey back and was leading by 0.36s while Hutchinson had taken second place from the Suzuki by the time they got up to the Bungalow and as Martin crossed the line, breaking the lap record with a 125.375mph speed, Anstey had slipped to nearly five seconds in arrears.
As Anstey leaped Ballaugh Bride for the second time, he was back to 0.47s behind Martin with Hutchinson in third some three seconds back, and McGuinness was being caught by hard-charging Keith Amor. Hutchinson was fastest through the speed-trap at Sulby topping out at 169.900mph.
Anstey had the hammer down from Sulby to Ramsey and had pulled a 3.35s lead over Martin which increased to 4.87s at the Bungalow and then just over six seconds at Cronk Ny Mona as Martin slipped back into the clutches of Hutchinson. Anstey set the lap record as he went into pitlane, while Hutchinson came into the top second, just 0.03s in front of the Hydrex Honda.
Anstey's lead was seven seconds as they exited pitlane which he stretched out to eight seconds at Glen Helen while Martin was gapped by Hutchinson in second. The Kiwi kept Hutchinson nine seconds behind him for the rest of the lap as Amor started to catch Martin on corrected time.
As they came into Ramsey on the third lap, Hutchinson, Anstey, Amor and McGuinness were on the road together and probably slowing each other down as Anstey's lead was down to eight seconds. But by the time they came round to the Grandstand for the penultimate time it was back up to nine seconds and then ten seconds at Glen Helen.
Amor had got to within two seconds of Martin as they went through the Bungalow on lap four but Anstey's lead had been cut to seven seconds. He ran out of fuel at the next corner and the highest point on the circuit.
Hutchinson crossed the line just over seven seconds in front of Martin and Amor had cut the Lincolnshire man's lead to a little over a second to take third place while Steve Plater crept up for fourth. Jenny Tinmouth was forced to retire with a broken gear lever bracket.
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