Keith Farmer back on the top step at Oulton Park

On a damp but drying track, Farmer made a flying start from the second row and set a blistering pace at the front on the Quay Garage Honda, streaking away into the distance.

He soon built up an unassailable lead and although championship leader Taylor Mackenzie stormed through the field on the Buildbase BMW to pick off a host of rivals, including Tyco BMW’s Ian Hutchinson, the result was never in doubt as Farmer held on to take the win by 8.6 seconds.

The Ulster rider dedicated the victory to his mother and said he knew he had to make the opening laps count to break the chasing pack.

“I knew I needed to go from the start because I knew who was on slicks and who was on wets. I had to be a bit ignorant at the start and it paid off,” said Farmer.

“Once we got that cushion we could maintain it so this one is for my mum and thanks to all my sponsors as well.”

Behind Mackenzie, Hutchinson was a safe third as he continues to impress on the BMW Superstock machine ahead of next week’s North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT.

His Tyco team-mate and reigning champion Josh Elliott finished fifth behind Hudson Kennaugh, with Michael Rutter completing the top six on the Bathams SMT BMW. Michael Dunlop was a non-finisher on the Buildbase BMW.

In the MCE British Superbike Championship, Tyco BMW’s Christian Iddon twice finished as the runner-up to open a lead of 14 points over Be Wiser Ducati’s Shane Byrne.

Iddon battled with JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam in tricky conditions at the Cheshire circuit in race one, who narrowly got the verdict by a tenth of a second at the line.

James Ellison was third (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) from Honda’s Jason O’Halloran with Alastair Seeley fifth on the RAF BMW, coming home one place ahead of Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty.

Jack Kennedy was seventh on the WD40 Kawasaki while rookie Glenn Irwin scored points in 13th on the Be Wiser Ducati after starting from the back of the grid.

In race two, Iddon again went close to his maiden BSB win but this time Richard Cooper came out on top for the Buildbase BMW team, passing Iddon on the run to the finish in a thrilling climax to record his first victory in the class.

Haslam took third, with Laverty finishing fifth and Irwin claiming his best result so far in a fine seventh place behind team-mate Byrne.

Seeley crashed out unhurt at the beginning of the race, with Kennedy ninth on this occasion.

In the British Motostar race, Eugene McManus finished 10th, while Carl Phillips was fourth in the Superstock 600 race.

Newtownabbey’s Aaron Wright made it another double in the KTM British Junior Cup to increase his championship advantage.