Flying Kiwi Bruce Anstey played the perfect waiting game as the Valvoline Padgetts Honda rider outsmarted Guy Martin to win the blue riband Superbike race at the Metzeler Ulster Grand Prix.
The 45-year-old from New Zealand waited until the seventh and final lap to make a winning move on the brakes at Tornagrough, passing Tyco Suzuki’s Martin to take the lead at a pivotal point in the race.
Anstey, still the outright lap record holder at the world’s fastest road race, never gave Martin another opportunity as he put the hammer down on the fast run to the finish to win by 0.260 seconds to complete a double following his win in the opening Supersport race.
It was Anstey’s 10th victory at Dundrod, underlining the popular international road racing star’s longevity at the pinnacle of the sport.
Pirtek Honda rider Lee Johnston finished on the podium in third, with BMW’s Michael Dunlop struggling to match the pace of the leaders as he came home fourth on the S1000RR, 4.8 seconds behind Anstey.
Ice Valley BMW rider Peter Hickman was fifth as the English newcomer continues to raise his stock after a brilliant debut season on the roads, with the top six rounded out by Daley Mathison.
William Dunlop suffered huge disappointment when the Tyco Suzuki rider was forced to pull his machine off the grid before the start of the race with a problem.
Anstey won the first Supersport race on the Valvoline Padgetts Honda, which was re-run after a crash involving three riders at Ireland’s corner on the opening lap.
He was battling throughout the race with William Dunlop until the final lap of the race, when the Ballymoney racer’s Tyco Suzuki GSX-R600 developed a problem, ruling the 29-year-old out of contention for his eighth win.
Anstey won comfortably from Johnston by 6.439 seconds with third going to Martin.
Ivan Lintin was next, with the first six completed by James Cowton and Russ Mountford.
Cowton had earlier won the Lightweight 250GP race on his Yamaha, while Daley Mathison was victorious in the Ultra-Lightweight 125GP/Moto3 race.
by Kyle White
kyle.white@newsletter.co.uk