Rutter on record books with seventh win

Michael Rutter made Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix history yesterday by taking a seventh victory on the famous Guia street circuit, bettering the existing record he had shared with fellow riding legend Ron Haslam since 2005.
Second was Rutter’s team mate Martin Jessopp, with Ian Hutchinson on the Swan Yamaha 1000 making a remarkable return to competition, after badly breaking his left leg at Silverstone a year ago, taking third for an all-British podium.
American Jeremy Toye was fourth with the IGT Kawasaki Racing Team, 9.674 seconds off Rutter’s time, followed by Briton Gary Johnson on the IGT Suzuki.
John McGuinness on the Roadhouse SMT Honda 1000, who last took victory on the 6.2km Guia Circuit ten years ago, was 6th fastest. Of the debutant Dunlop brothers, Michael on the IGT Kawasaki was faster finishing 12th, just ahead of his brother William (Honda).
Conor Cummins and Rico Penzkofer pulled out after the warm-up lap, saying that the track condition in the first sector was just too dangerous.
Nonetheless, all the riders were pleased to get the Motorcycle Grand Prix underway after rain had disrupted the race programme on Friday and Saturday morning. This 45th edition was also marked by the forced absence of Stuart Easton, winner of the past three years in succession, because of a high-speed crash at this year’s Northern Ireland’s North West 200.
Rutter, aboard the RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati 1200 proved why he is the greatest rider the event has ever known in the shortened 10-lap race, winning by a margin of 4.772 seconds and setting the fastest lap of the race.
Although Rutter had the advantage of pole position, it was Hutchinson who stormed off the grid and into the lead off the start, followed by Rutter, McGuinness and Jessopp.
McGuinness got by Rutter in the run down to Lisboa, with Jessopp following suit.
While Hutchinson set about pulling away from the pack, Jessopp, McGuinness and Rutter were engaged in a three-way battle, with McGuinness dropping back to fourth by the end of the second lap. Rutter was on a charge though, and up to second a lap later having passed Jessopp at Lisboa, and taking the charge to the race leader.
Closing up to Hutchinson on lap 4, Rutter again made his move at Lisboa to take the lead. As Rutter set about putting some track between himself and his rivals, Jessopp passed Hutchinson to go second.
To rapturous cheers from the Macau crowds, Rutter crossed the line to take the flag and etch his name in the Grand Prix history books once again.
However, it was team mate Jessopp who Rutter praised at the post-race press conference, after light-heartedly assuring the assembled media his first call would be to Ron Haslam: “Martin has been there all year – he’s come along and learned a lot. It’s been a brilliant season.”