Michael Rutter completed a hat-trick of wins when he clinched the 36th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix yesterday and in the process gave the Ducati factory their first triumph on the twisting 3.8-mile circuit.
The 29-year-old Leicestershire Ducati Manchester team rider lived up to his top billing as he steered his 998cc bike over the line a clear winner to become only the third rider in history to win the Macau title three times.
Now in the company of previous three-time Macau winners Sadeo Asami, 'Rocket' Ron Haslam and Steve Hislop, Englishman Rutter joined an elite band as he took the chequered flag in front of fellow Britons John McGuinness and David Jefferies in the shortened 10-lap race, which was held over from Saturday because of rain.
Rutter was delighted with his latest win that added to his Macau triumphs in 1998 and 2000. He said he was also happy for Ducati knowing the Italian bike manufacturers had never won in Macau before.
All three riders across the finish line were previous winners of the race, with Jefferies snatching third place after making a cautious start because of concerns about the clutch on his TAS Suzuki GB machine.
Rutter, who was competing in Macau for the eighth time and was the British Superbike Championship runner-up this year, said: 'It's Ducati's first win. They [Ducati] got pole position and their first race win. It does do me a bit of good by winning for them. It's the first time they are sponsoring me here and it's nice to get a win for them.
