David Knight emerged from the gloom and mist to win Southern MCC’s hare and hounds enduro at Carnagrie on Saturday afternoon.

It was the first competitive ACU motorcycle event in the British Isles since the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

Riding a new 500cc KTM, Knighter led from the first few hundred yards of the two-and-a-half-hour race.

Receiving treatment from the Hogg Rescue Unit for a gash on his left elbow - the result of a fall on a jagged lump of slate - he claimed the bike was the best of the larger capacity KTMs he’s ridden since the ones he campaigned with such success and gusto a decade-and-a-half ago.

The bike had only ran for 10 minutes in the week leading up to the event as he spent a lot of time stripping components from it and swapping over the gearbox.

His fastest lap of the course (a distance in the region of 6km) was an impressive 10min 27.6sec. Ever-consistent, the big Ballaugh man posted a 10m 38s for his final circuit to finish one complete lap ahead of holeshot man Craig Norrey, who went well on his Yamaha to complete 12 laps.

Norrey was in turn one lap ahead of similarly-mounted Jack Collins, with Ryan Neild and Sulby’s Will Cawte also completing 12 in what was his first enduro event as an adult.

Aaron Watson also managed to get into double figures.

The two-man class saw victory going to Mark Turner and Ashley Kelly on a combined total of 11 laps, sharing the latter’s 300 Gas Gas.

They finished one minute ahead of Ollie Megson and talented 15-year-old trials rider Bobby Moyer.

Juan Knight, who had caused total mayhem in the first minute of the event at the first major corner, partnered Eric Herdman to third place. All of the top eight pairs finished on the same lap count, proving how tight it was.

Sam Corlett and Tom Dawson did well to 10 and nine laps respectively on their Flappers.

The Quad bike class was the closest of the day with Kane and Michael Hall coming out on top by a margin of less than 14 seconds from Matt Thorpe and Ben Cox.

Jayson and Michael Kelly and Mike Kerruish teamed with Ste Ennett each completed nine laps, while all-rounders Nigel Crellin/Damian Owen and Jake McKeown (riding solo) completed eight apiece.

Conditions had improved considerably by the time the youth race started late afternoon and Jack Keenan was the comfortable winner on his 125. He lapped a shorter course consistently the quickest to complete eight laps.

Also on eight were Oliver Carroll and Ryan Christian on their 85s. Ryan Herdman, Callum Christian and Bruce Fromm also managed seven, while young Jacob Wilson had a tally of five on his 65cc mount.

RESULTS

Solo: David Knight (500 KTM) total 13 laps; 2, Craig Norrey (Yamaha) 12; 3, Jack Collins (Yamaha) 11; 4, Ryan Neild 11; 5, Will Cawte (125 Sherco) 11; 6, Aaron Watson (300 KTM) 10; 7, Peter Beaumont (300 Beta); 8, Dario Leonetti (300 Sherco) nine; 9, John Duggan (300 KTM) nine; 10, Leo McVicar (Gas Gas) nine; 11, Mathew Asbridge (KTM) nine; 12, Stephen Franklin (250 KTM) eight; 13, David Gurney (250 KTM) eight; 14, Laurence Barber (500 KTM) eight; 15, David Wormald seven; 16, Mark Crellin six; 17, Jack Walton (Gas Gas) six; 18, Alan Heath six; 19, Mark Hazelgrove (250 KTM) six; 20, Stephen Farrell five; 21, Tim Sayers (300 KTM) four.

Two-man: 1, Mark Turner/Ashley Kelly (Gas Gas) 11 laps; 2, Ollie Megson/Bobby Moyer (Yamaha) 11; 3, Eric Herdman/Juan Knight (Gas Gas) 11; 4, Jimmy Cubbon/Chris Madigan (Yamaha) 11; 5, Grant Thomson/Si Fulton (Husqvarna) 11; 6, Max Ingham/Jake Subachus (Yamaha) 11; 7, Russell and Orry Millward (Yamaha) 11; 8, James Langdon/Will Duggan 11; 9, Peter Kermeen/Tom Knight (Sherco) 10; 10, Jamie Cringle/Gav Hunt 10; 11, Jon Garrad/Mark Lund (300 KTM) 10; 12, Luke Hall/Tom Cain (Yamaha) nine; 13, Dylan Bridges/James Quayle (200 KTM) nine; 14, Kyle Batty/Percy Hampton (Honda) nine; 15, Adam and Kieran Ackers (300 Beta) nine; 16, Peter Gray (Gas Gas) eight; 17, Richard Smith/Dave Smyth (Yamaha) eight; 18, Joe Coulson/Rory Howell (Honda) eight; 19, Shaun Robinson/Owen Chestnut (Gas Gas) seven; 20, Jordan and Steve Corkill (KTM) six; 21, Kyle Casement/Max Murray (Honda) three.

Quad bikes: 1, Kane Hall/Michael Hall (Yamaha) 10 laps; 2, Matt Thorpe/Ben Cox (450 Yamaha) 10; 3, Jayson and Michael Kelly (660 Yamaha) nine; 4, Mike Kerruish/Ste Ennett nine; 5, Nigel Crellin/Damian Owen (Honda) eight; 6, Jake McKeown (Honda) eight; 7, Tom Cannell/Liam Kirkpatrick (450 Yamaha) six; 8, Seamus Doolan/Craig McGee (450 Yamaha) six.

Flappers: 1, Sam Corlett 10; 2, Tom Dawson nine.

Youth 125: Jack Keenan eight laps. Youth 85: 1, Oliver Carroll eight; 2, Ryan Christian eight; 3, Ryan Herdman seven; 4, Callum Christian seven; 5, Bruce Fromm seven; 6, Alfie Mathieson-Nelson six; 7, Stanley Cubbon six; 8, Max Hitchen five; 9, TJ Teare five; 10, Harry Shand two. Youth 65: Jacob Wilson five.