Isle of Man TT: NI motorcycle legend's Chardonnay moment after 'dream' win

Northern Ireland motorcycle legend Hector Neill joked he would enjoy a wee glass of Chardonnay after watching Davey Todd win the blue riband Senior TT at the Isle of Man on Saturday.

Todd fully capitalised on Michael Dunlop's retirement and Peter Hickman coming off to surge to his second TT win the space of three days.

The Saltburn rider claimed his maiden victory on Thursday in the Superstock class, but he went one better on Saturday by winning the TT's showpiece feature race.

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It was a proud moment for Neill, the founder of the iconic TAS Racing Team, who run the Milwaukee BMW Motorrad bike that carried Todd to his emphatic triumph.

And the 82-year-old soaked up the occasion after Todd was crowned Senior champion.

Neill said: "It is like a dream come true. I came up here to support Davey, thinking he might get on the podium. We would have been delighted with that.

"But to come and win the Senior TT after all these years since our last, it is a dream come true."

Hector's son Philip, the Milwaukee BMW Motorrad Team Principal, was on a flight home when Todd was winning Saturday's Senior TT.

Hector joked: "I'll have to call him, don't you worry. But he will probably be calling me. What a day. I couldn't believe it.

"I came up to the winner's enclosure early so I would get in, then I thought I maybe shouldn't have done that as it might be bad luck. Davey was cruising at that stage."

Asked if he might enjoy a drink later that night, Hector joked: "Well, I might get a glass of Chardonnay."

It turned into a brilliant week for the TAS team and rider Todd, who emerged with a double at the TT.

Todd had only made the move to the Milwaukee outfit after two years with the Padgett’s Motorcycles team with whom he took a first TT podium in the 2022 Superstock Race and won last year’s British National Superstock Championship.

Neill team is a name synonymous with road racing, having supported riders from as early as the 1970s. The TAS Racing team as we know it today first debuted in 2000 and has gone on to take a total of 18 TT race victories and 44 podiums, making them one of the most successful teams ever around the Mountain Course.

Todd joins an illustrious list of names to have ridden for the Northern Irish team which includes Ian Lougher, David Jefferies, Adrian Archibald, Bruce Anstey, Cameron Donald, Guy Martin, William Dunlop, Conor Cummins, Josh Brookes, Ian Hutchinson, and Michael Dunlop.

Saturday's win was TAS Racing team's first in the Senior TT since Adrian Archibald's success in the race back in 2004.

Todd said afterwards: "It doesn't feel real. I got my first TT win a few days ago and we've been feeling good the whole time. I wanted to be in the battle for the win and I knew we had a chance with this one.

"I can't wait until next year already. I can't believe we have 12 months to come back here again. I loved this TT. This is going to take a while to sink it, it's been a dream come true for me."

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