Cooper comes out on top in Supersport thriller

Richard Cooper clinched his second ever win in the Supersport class at the NW200

Richard Cooper made it North West 200 win number seven by coming out on top in a thrilling Supersport battle over a shortened distance of four laps on Saturday.

The Nottingham rider also won the Supertwins race earlier in the day.

The initial running of the Supersports was halted when red flags were displayed on lap three of six after incidents at Mill Road and Church Corner.

Both riders involved were subsequently taken to hospital for observation.

When the race re-started after a lengthy delay, over the reduced distance, Honda Racing rider Dean Harrison took charge at the head of affairs, leading after each of the first three circuits.

A thrilling battle ensued as the Yorkshireman came under threat from challengers Cooper, Michael Dunlop, Davey Todd and Peter Hickman.

By the final lap it was left to Cooper, Harrison and Dunlop to dispute the lead, that trio having shaken off their pursuers.

Cooper and Harrison both mounted the grass section at the final chicane as the leading three battled for supremacy, with the 42-year-old three-time British champion somehow staying on board his machine and ultimately prevailing by 0.4 seconds on his BPE by Russell Engineering Yamaha.

For Cooper, it was a second Supersport win of his career at the North West, the Englishman having also taken a win in the middleweight class 12 months ago.

Dunlop completed the rostrum places and set the quickest lap of the race at 118.315mph, just shy of the benchmark he set in winning Thursday's Supersport event.

"I was like, 'that one I'm having," Cooper told BBC Sport NI after the race.

"We came here to win and we did it."

Dunlop hinted in his post-race interview that he believed he had been hard done by the events in the closing stages.

"It was a great race. Everyone was on the same run, it was hard to call that one," he said.

"The two boys knew they weren't making the turn so let the brakes off. The two of them ran on but I made the chicane. They made a clear advantage.

"I ran on earlier [in the Superbike race] but didn't get an advantage from it. I'm not going to cry about it, what do you say about it unless the organisers look at it. It was great racing. It's always going to go to that last chicane."

Saturday Supersport race results

1 Richard Cooper (Eng, Yamaha)

2 Dean Harrison (Eng, Honda)

3 Michael Dunlop (NI, Ducati)

4 Davey Todd (Eng, Honda)

5 Peter Hickman (Eng, Triumph)

6 Alastair Seeley (NI, Kawasaki)

7 Josh Brookes (Aus, Honda)

8 Paul Jordan (NI, Honda)