Michael Dunlop won the prize he values most when he retained the magnificent Senior TT

in triumphant fashion on Friday afternoon.

After a restart, following a red-flagged original start because of a hefty crash on

the Mountain Mile involving his arch-rival Ian Hutchinson, Dunlop said: ‘Today

we made the impossible possible.’

‘We came here with a completely new bike,’ referring to the Bennetts Suzuki. ‘Bring

me on anything here and I’ll win on it,’ he boasted.

Dunlop’s team made changes to the suspension for the restart and it appeared to make all

the difference. He led by one second from Bruce Anstey at Glen Helen, with Dean

Harrison third at another nine 1000ths of a second.

Race one leader Peter Hickman was up to second by Ramsey, but three seconds down on Dunlop at the top of the mountain climb.

Dunlop had doubled his advantage by Ramsey on lap two, with Anstey retiring from fourth place at Bedstead Corner. Hickman had a faster pitstop at half-distance, but

Dunlop continued to pile on the coals with the Bennetts Suzuki, ending lap three

with a lead of 10.6s.

Harrison was going well in third place and his final lap was his first at more than

132mph.

But the joy was all Dunlop’s and he celebrated with his team in the winners’

enclosure.

‘The Senior’s the one everyone wants,’ he said after his 15th TT win in total and his

second of the week.