Retro Rewind: The 2009 Senior TT and a dramatic victory for HM Plant Honda's Steve Plater

The English rider only made his debut around the Mountain Course in 2007 and clinched his maiden victory a year later on the AIM Yamaha, emerging as the winner after Bruce Anstey was excluded from the race as his Relentless TAS Suzuki machine was found to have breached technical regulations.

In only his third appearance at the TT, Plater lifted motorcycling road racing’s greatest prize as he triumphed in a compelling blue riband Senior race on the HM Plant Honda Fireblade.

The Woodhall-Spa rider, who was crowned British Supersport champion for Honda during a memorable 2009, took control of the race after initial leader and 15-time TT winner John McGuinness was cruelly ruled out of contention with a broken chain.

Morecambe star McGuinness – also riding in the HM Plant Honda colours – had stamped his authority on the race by blitzing the lap record from a standing start with a speed of 130.953mph to lead Plater by 3.68 seconds.

The 37-year-old – who surpassed Mike Hailwood’s win tally of 14 victories when he achieved a dominant 15th success days earlier in Dainese Superbike TT – then officially smashed the 131mph barrier on his second lap, establishing a new outright lap record for the 37.73-mile Mountain course of 131.578mph in a time of 17m 12.30s.

McGuinness’ stunning speed was quicker than injured Aussie Cameron Donald’s unofficial 131mph lap set during practice week on his Relentless TAS Suzuki.

However, the Mountain master was brought crashing back down to earth on lap four when he retired while leading by 19 seconds at Cruickshanks with a broken chain, leaving the door ajar for a jubilant Plater.

Manx hero Conor Cummins finished second on Ulster businessman Winston McAdoo’s Kawasaki, while Uel Duncan protégé Gary Johnson from Broughton took third on the Robinson Concrete Honda Fireblade.

Ballymoney’s Adrian Archibald was the top Northern Ireland competitor across the line, claiming a magnificent fourth on his AMA Suzuki GSX-R1000.

An emotional Plater said: “It will probably sink in a bit more tonight sometime, but it feels great and this is what dreams are made of.

“It’s unfortunate that John (McGuinness) went out with a broken chain, but that’s the TT for you.

“Obviously John would have been on the ball right until the very end, but I was trying my hardest to put in a real quick out-lap because Neil (Tuxworth) has been whinging and whining at me all week, saying I’m like an old lady on the first lap, so that was what I was concentrating on and the result came from there,” added Plater, who collected a winners’ cheque of £22,000 for his efforts.

“The victory will sink in more next week when I have a bit of time on my own, but as I said to the guys earlier, as soon as that chequered flag comes out at the end of the Senior I’ll be thinking about the British Supersport Championship race at Snetterton.”

Plater set a new outright race record for the Superbike class, completing the six-lap distance in a time of 1h 45m 53.15s at an average speed of 128.278mph.

A dejected McGuinness said he was ‘devastated’ by the manner of his exit from the race, which he was on course to win for the fifth year in success.

“To be as strong as I was in the race to have to retire due to a broken chain is devastating,” he said.

“I’ve won the Senior TT for the last four years and I was going all out to win again today for the fifth year running and know that I could have won. I felt I had everything in control and inch perfect and the bike was running like a dream.

“There’s nothing else I can say other than I’m gutted for me and also the team and Honda, as it would have been magic to get another 1-2 Superbike race finish with Steve as we did last Monday, especially this year for Honda’s 50th.

“But I’m pleased it was my team-mate to take the top step of the rostrum and at least there’s always next year.”

Carl Rennie came home in fifth with Dan Stewart sixth, Michael Rutter seventh and Dungannon’s John Burrows eighth on his BE Suzuki.

Burrows secured his best-ever TT finish by taking 10th in the Superbike TT on Monday and capped off a memorable week on the Island with an even better result in the festival finale.

Ryan Farquhar, Ian Lougher, William Dunlop, Michael Dunlop, Davy Morgan and Derek Brien failed to finish the race with machine problems.

Plater also won the inaugural Joey Dunlop TT trophy and the £10,000 cheque, with Ian Hutchison, Guy Martin, John McGuinness and Conor Cummins completing the top five in the points championship.

* A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. To subscribe, click here.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor