Ramsey racer Andrew Dudgeon was the first winner of the Manx Grand Prix Graduate Award after gaining two replicas and a 15th place finish in the Supersport race at this year’s TT, winning a silver replica in the process.

Andrew, who is 28, won the Junior Manx in 2016 and came second to Tom Weedon in the Senior, with less than one second separating them at the end of the four-lap race.

Andrew said he was delighted and flattered to receive the award, presented in memory of racers Billy Redmayne, who won the Junior Manx in 2015 and Malachi Mitchell-Thomas, who won the Senior Manx in the same year. Tragically, both died before making their TT debut last year, Billy at Oliver’s Mount in Scarborough and Malachi at the North West 200 in Ireland.

The presentation, which took place in the 38th Milestone at the paddock after the Senior TT, was attended by Malachi’s father, Kevin, and Billy’s family along with his girl friend Hannah.

Andrew said compared with the Manx Grand Prix, this year’s TT had been a more relaxing experience.

’There was less pressure and more of a chance to focus on personal goals because there was less expectation on me at the TT,’ he said.

’In 2016, the main aim was to get the win - three would have been nice, to match Dan Kneen,’ he said.

At this year’s TT he was using an ex Dan Kneen Suzuki GSXR600.

’It was a quick bike - about third fastest through the Sulby speed trap. It was funny to see the list of times with me at about 172mph, William Dunlop at about 179mph then a lot of the top riders behind.’

This year he rode a Kawasaki ZX10 for the Senior, which took a bit of getting used to after the 600.

’I only got about five practice laps on the big bike, so many practices were cancelled, and none was a flying lap. I didn’t even know if it would do two laps before refuelling. It was spluttering going across the start-finish line. It’s a heavier machine and it’s more powerful so it tends to slide and shake itself. It’s harder work to ride whereas the 600 feels really comfortable because I’m used to it,’ he said.

Personal goals for the TT were a top 20 finish and to lap in excess of 125mph (he scored a 15th place finish and a lap of just under 124mph but feels sure he would have met his second goal with better weather and more practice time).

Big crowds and big names were a particlar thrill at the TT, he said.

’The atmosphere and the amount of people were amazing. One session, Ivan Lintin came past and I was able to tag onto him for a bit.’

He’ll be back for TT 2018 with the same bikes and is riding Rob Brew’s Kawasaki ZXR 750 in the Classic TT which runs along side the Manx Grand Prix in August.