All-rounder Kiaran Hankin won the Manx International Classic Trial for the third time in six years at the weekend.

The BSA Bantam rider from Preston, a former MGP and TT rider, moved up from joint second overnight to squeeze out last year’s winner Dan Clark by a single dab.

Juan Knight won the twinshock class also for the third time. He first took the honours in 2017 on the ‘White Wonder’ 349 Montesa, repeating that feat on a 330cc Mont last year.

On this occasion he was astride a 1975 325cc Bultaco, completing the weekend with a sparing loss of three marks.

The Manx Trials Club organised event, the 26th since the inaugural edition in 1996, started from Castletown Square on Saturday and St John’s on Sunday.

In perfect conditions, day one included groups of sections at Scarlett, Poyll Vaaish, Glendown (Port St Mary), Fleshwick, Ballarock and the Stacks before lunch. Followed by a very slimy section at Juan Clarey’s Bridge, Glen Rushen Gulley, Ballagilbert (off Corlea Road), South Barrule Quarry, nearby Watertrough Park, Grenaby and Billown Glen - 30 in all.

Clark got round for a single dab on the big 500cc Ariel, one fewer than James Harland (Triumph twin), Stephen Murphy (Drayton Villiera), Phil Houghton (Triumph twin) and Hankin.

Sean Radcliff (BSA) of Lancashire was another mark behind on three, with Jim Hough (Triumph) on four.

Leading locals were Stephen Lace (Bantam) in 19th and Dale Farquhar (Francis Barnett) 21st.

The under-35 class saw Ben Butterworth of Lancashire also going round for a single mark on another Ariel HT.

The twinshock class was topped by Knight on two marks, half the score of fellow two-time winner Darren Wasley (Fantic) of South Yorkshire.

Locals Lee Wardell (Bultaco) and Matthew Lund (Fantic) were fourth and sixth.

The clubman classes were led by Glyn Moses (pre-65 Francis Barnett) on one and fellow Welshman Steve Plain (twinshock Yamaha), who rode all 30 sections without a single loss.

Knight’s son Thomas led the newly introduced air-cooled monoshock class on his father’s 1989 237cc Gas Gas.

Sunday was slightly cooler and largely cloudy, with some reduced visibility on higher ground.

After an early start of 7.30am for some, many riders got behind schedule in the mid-stages and there was a long gap of more than three-quarters of an hour after the air-cooled monos and the first handful of twinshocks went through two tough subs at Tholt-y-Will Quarry.

Early groups were at St John’s car park, Cooil Slieu (Greeba) and King’s Forest, nearby Ballavitchell Gulley, Eary Vane, West Baldwin Bridge, Booilshuggel, Creg-y-Cowin and Brandywell Gulley before a break at Victory Cafe.

Then Snaefell Gulley, Tholt-y-Will, Cronk Garrow, Mount Karrin, Ballaugh plantation, Slieau Dhoo track, Glion Gill and back to St John’s car park for the last one to again make 30 tests for the slightly reduced field of 246 riders.

On a tougher route, Hankin did well to get round for three on Sunday, whereas overnight leader Clark required five to leave the pair split by one mark in Hankin’s favour.

Harland, whose family live at the Garey, near Ramsey had 13 to finish third, leading home the similar Triumph twins of Stephen Douglas and Houghton.

Multiple Manx Two Day Trial sidecar winner Robin Luscombe had a night out with Derry Kissack to blame for his slump from eighth place on Saturday (five off the lead) to fourth from last on Sunday!

He finished on the same marks (56) as leading local Lace, with committee member Farquhar perhaps regretting his choice to ride the harder route on his 1955 Frannie Barnett.

The pre-65 clubman class went to Moses on a similar machine with a grand total of nine, six fewer than Martin Gilbert of Devon on the Bantam.

The battle of the former TT aces went to Scotsman Iain Duffus in 10th on the Bantam, from Mick Grant (who turned 80 in June) on a similar machine and leading local Ashley Gardner, who slipped from 16th overnight to 27th on the BSA C15.

Juan Knight, wearing a pair of denims, ordinary wellies and a Bultaco t-shirt, certainly looked in period with a machine the same age as himself to walk away with the twinshock honours on a total of three. He bucked the general trend by dropping fewer marks on Sunday over the tougher sections than he did on day one.

He was eight marks clear of Wasley, with Matty Lund overhauling Wardell for fifth place and second local overall on 49.

The joint best ride with Knight on the premier route went to under-35 pre-65 winner Butterworth with one on Saturday and two dabs on Sunday.

Keith Annette (Yamaha) of Northern Ireland moved up from seventh overnight to win the twinshock clubman class on a total of five marks, 11 clear of Tim Johnson (Beamish Suzuki) of Nottinghamshire, with overnight leader Plain dropping to fourth on the same loss of 17 as Derrick Edmondson.

Fellow former ISDE gold medallist Russell Millward was the leading local in what was the biggest field of 56 riders with a total loss of 17 on his 200 Honda, followed by twice former premier twinshock winner John Kneale in 11th spot on the 156 Fantic.

West Baldwin’s Aleyn Taggart won the twinshock under-35 class on his 1975 TY250 Yamaha and fellow local Daniel Smith was third in the pre-65 clubman under-35s won by Greeves-mounted Chris Barnett of County Durham.

Tom Knight managed to nip back to the workshop in nearby Sulby to get a spare kickstart after snapping the original, winning the air-cooled monoshock by a clear margin from Ryan Kneen.

JOHN WATTERSON