Shane Byrne’s perfect start to the British Superbike season ended at Oulton Park – but it was still a good weekend for the three-time champion.

The Sittingbourne rider added to his Brands Hatch double by winning the first race at the Cheshire circuit on Bank Holiday Monday, holding off Josh Brookes to take the chequered flag by just 0.105sec.

Race two was equally close but this time Brookes pipped Byrne by 0.118.

Byrne, who leads Brookes 95-65 after round two of the championship, said: “There were plenty of places where he was stronger than me and then places where I was stronger than him.

“I thought I would use my strengths of my bike and my riding to make up time when I lost it to him but he did the same to me, so it was always a little bit like a yo-yo.

“I know how hard I worked in the first one, so he did a great job and I am happy with a first and a second place and now looking forward to a little bit of a break before we go on to Snetterton (June 13-15).”