Southern 100: Davey Todd bags four-timer with Supersport victory over Dean Harrison and Michael Dunlop | Top three separated by just 0.3s | Dunlop obliterates lap record

The Milenco by Padgett’s Honda rider battled it out with Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) and Michael Dunlop throughout the seven laps and the trio were separated by less than three tenths-of-a-second at the flag.

Dunlop – who won the second Supersport race earlier in the day – smashed the lap record on his MD Racing Yamaha on the third lap with a speed of 110.852mph, and the Ulsterman bettered that benchmark on the final lap, clocking 110.998mph on his way to his fifth podium finish in five races at the event.

Todd made his customary fast start and led Harrison and Dunlop at Cross Four Ways on the first lap.

With one lap completed, Todd was 0.8s ahead of Harrison with Dunlop 1.3s adrift in third, narrowly ahead of Coward.

Todd’s lead was reduced to 0.470s after the second lap by Harrison, while Dunlop was in touch on his Yamaha, 0.998s further back in third as he put daylight between himself and Jamie Coward in fourth. The pace was red-hot once again, with Todd setting a lap record for the race at 110.092mph.

However, Dunlop smashed the lap record on the third lap with a speed of 110.852mph as he remained in third, but now only 0.661s back on Todd and two tenths behind Harrison in second position.

Todd still held a slight advantage after lap four, 0.316s over Harrison, while Dunlop was still in contention, half-a-second back. Coward was now 4.6s behind the race leader but was comfortable in fourth, 5.9s clear of Paul Jordan (Prez Racing Yamaha).

The gap came down even further as the leaders began the penultimate lap but it was still Todd holding onto a slender lead of 0.106s from Harrison, who was half-a-second in front of Dunlop.

Another grandstand finish was in prospect on the last lap as Todd continued to hold sway by just two tenths-of-a-second from Harrison and Dunlop in third, with only half-a-second between the leading trio.

When they arrived at Cross Four Ways, Todd still led Harrison and Dunlop and the Saltburn man held on for his fourth victory of the week by 0.118s - his second in the Supersport class - with Dunlop rounding out the top three, only 0.180s back after breaking the lap record again.

Coward took fourth on the KTS Racing/Steadplan Yamaha, 13 seconds down, with Jordan and Rob Hodson (Yamaha) the top six. Michael Sweeney finished in seventh on his Yamaha after retiring from the earlier Supersport race on the warm-up lap.