It maybe a new-look podium at the TT Grandstand, but there was a familiar face on its top step after Saturday’s record-breaking RST Superbike contest.

Michael Dunlop notched up his 16th TT victory in a new race record following a dramatic six laps that saw the outright lap record smashed by Dean Harrison from a standing start.

The latter set a blistering early pace, a sensational opening lap of 134.432mph (16:50.384) putting his Silicone Engineering Kawasaki three seconds inside Dunlop’s record set in 2016.

Even Dunlop couldn’t live with the Yorkshireman’s early pace as he built up 18-second lead. Harrison’s bike, however, couldn’t keep up the blistering speed and the 29 year old was forced to retire at Sulby Crossroads on lap four with a slipping clutch.

Dunlop, who had cut Harrison’s advantage down to less that four seconds by that point, inherited the lead and went on to win almost at a canter, bringing home his TYCO BMW almost 51 seconds ahead of runner-up Conor Cummins.

Cummins rode a measured race on the Padgett’s Honda to land his seventh TT podium, recording his best lap of 132.175mph in the process, as the rest of the field struggle to hold onto Harrison and Dunlop.

James Hillier landed third on the Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki a further 21s down on Cummins. David Johnson, Michael Rutter and Lee Johnston completed the top six.

After the race Dunlop was quick to dedicate the race win to team-mate Dan Kneen who died during a crash in qualifying on Wednesday night. Dunlop said: ’It’s hard to celebrate this week. I wanted to do something and that’s for Dan and for his family.’

Kneen’s fellow Manxman Cummins added: ’It’s been a tough week - it’s nice to get on the box for Dan.’

Peter Hickman, Ian Hutchinson and Gary Johnson were among the retirements, the former stopping at the pits at the end of lap one when in third.

Full report in TT News issue two, on sale Sunday.