The Isle of Man TT is no stranger to uncanny coincidences. Of the many riders who have won multiple TT races since the Second World War, the surname beginning with the letter ‘H’ stands out.

Since the return to racing in 1947, no fewer than 16 riders whose surname begins with the letter H have scored 76 victories in the solo classes.

Several have scored multiple victories and four of these riders have won 55 races between them.

They include Mike Hailwood with 14 wins and flying Scotsman Steve Hislop with 11. Absolute lap record holder Peter Hickman also has 14 victories, while Ian Hutchinson - the only rider to win five races in one week in 2010 - has chalked up a total of 16 victories, a tally that would almost certainly have been higher if he had not missed numerous more opportunities when sidelined by injury.

Matched against these four riders we have the phenomenal achievements of Michael Dunlop (33 wins), his uncle Joey (26) and Michael’s father Robert Dunlop with five race victories, giving a total of 64 race wins. A one-off legendary road racing family.

Apart from the Dunlops, the only other riders breaking into that category with more than 10 race wins without the letter H are the two Ms - John McGuinness with 23 and Phillip McCallen with 11 race wins.

In 2017 the first four finishers in the Superbike TT were Hutchinson, Hickman, Dean Harrison and James Hillier.

The following current riders are also race winners, Honda UK Racing’s Dean Harrison, now an Isle of Man resident, looks sure to add to his tally of five race wins. There is also James Hillier with one race win, the 2013 Supertwin Lightweight race.

The inaugural electric TT races in 2009 saw the then island resident Chris Heath win the Open class, but the overall winner was Rob Barber. Due to high development costs and poor entries after 10 years the TT Zero races were removed from the schedule.

Shaun Harris posted a Superstock double in 2003. A popular and lively member of the paddock, he may have had more wins if hadn’t been for his big crash in 2007 at Union Mills.

Fellow New Zealander Rob Holden, originally from Yorkshire (his family having emigrated when Rob was 15), won the 1995 Singles TT but was tragically killed at Glen Helen during early morning practice on the big Ducati in 1996.

Ulsterman Tom Herron scored a double in 1976 in the Lightweight and Senior, both on Yamahas, then two years later he also won the 1978 Senior on a RG500 Suzuki.

He and his wife Andrea had just purchased a home at Tromode, within hearing distance of the paddock, when he suffered a fateful crash at the 1979 North West.

Clive Horton won the last 125cc Lightweight TT (as a Grand Prix) in 1974, although the class was reintroduced in 1989.

The first three finishers in 1974 were all H’s – Horton, Ivan Hodgkinson and Herron. And if Austin Hockley had not experienced problems on the last lap when dicing with Horton for the win, the first four finishers would have been H’s.

Factory MV riders Gary Hocking (the 1961 500cc World Champion) and John Hartle recorded two wins a piece. Hocking took the 1960 250cc Lightweight and 1962 Senior, while Hartle won the 1960 Junior on a 350 MV and the inaugural 750cc Production TT in 1967 on a Triumph Bonneville, after a four-year absence.

Hailwood commented that Hartle was a very underrated rider after he put up a terrific scrap on a six-year-old Gilera in the 1963 Senior TT against Hailwood’s factory MV.

Hartle often had unreliable machinery as the No.2 rider in a factory team. He had no fewer than five runner-up positions across the late 1950s and early 1960s.

In 1954 Werner Haas won the 250cc Lightweight TT and his works NSU team-mate Rupert Hollaus the 125cc Ultra Lightweight. The latter was run over 10 laps of the inaugural Clypse Course circuit comprising 10.79 miles which incorporated a small section of the Mountain Course from Cronk-ny-Mona to Creg-ny-Baa in reverse.

Two riders worthy of mention who never achieved a race victory on the Mountain Course are local man Roger Hurst and the late American GP star, Pat Hennen, a former factory Suzuki rider.

Hurst was so close to victory in the 1988 Production Class C race, finishing runner-up to Brian Morrison by three seconds with Steve Hislop third. Roger claims to this day that victory was within his grasp as he led by 1.5 seconds at the start of the final lap; but he was too gentlemanly lapping slower riders over the Mountain section.

Hennen competed in 1977 and 1978 but left an indelible mark, becoming the first rider to break the 20-minute lap barrier at 113.83mph in his close dice with Tom Herron before his career-ending crash at Bishopscourt on the final lap of the 1978 Senior TT.

Although the Classic TT and Clubmans TT races are not included in the official numbers as ‘full’ TT races, it is worth noting that three TT Clubman winners had surnames beginning with the letter ‘H’: Eric Hounsley (1952 Junior Clubman’s); Bernard Hargreaves (1952 Senior Clubman’s) and Ronnie Hazelhurst (1948 Junior Clubman’s).

So, there you are: the H’s have it. If you are a quality solo rider and have a surname beginning with the letter H, results indicate an increased chance of a race win and/or podium finish.

TABLE OF TT WINS (with the surname beginning with H) - Ian Hutchinson 16*; Mike Hailwood and Peter Hickman* both 14; Steve Hislop 11; Dean Harrison* five; Tom Herron three; Shaun Harris, John Hartle, Gary Hocking all two; James Hillier*, Chris Heath, Rob Holden, Ron Haslam, Clive Horton, Werner Haas and Rupert Hollaus all one win each. * denotes current riders.

PAUL COPPARELLI