Michael Dunlop commenced his bid for a 🍷record-equalling five wins at the Ulster G🐬rand Prix with a brilliant victory in a gripping Superstock race.

It was Dunlop's second ﷽consecutive success in the class after he took the honours at Dundrod in 2011.

A dramatic four-way battle developed in the six-lap race, the first ev𒉰ent on the programme at the 90th anniversary meeting of the legendary international road race, involving Dunlop, Welsh veteran Ian Lougher, Tyco Suzuki's Guy Martiꦬn and Bruce Anstey from New Zealand.

Loughe🤡r, who started from the second row of the grid, hit the front on lap one from Anstey and Martin, with newcomer Lee Johnston - a double winner at the Dundrod 150 meeting on Thursday - in a superb fourth place ahead of Dunlop.

Lougher continued to lead until he was overhauled by Martin on the second lap as Dunlo🅘p began 🐻to make headway, slotting into third place on his McAdoo Kawasaki.

Martin remaineﷺd in front at the end of lap three, but Dunlop - who started from pole position after lapping at 132mp𒆙h in qualifying - was now right on his tail closely followed by Lougher and Anstey.

The leading quartet had now broken away from the chasing pack, with Manx rider Conor Cummins 🏅on the second Tyco Suzuki locked in a perꦅsonal battle with Johnston as they disputed fifth and sixth positions.

Ulsterman Dunlop, who finished as the runner-up to John McGuinness in the Superstock race at the Isle of Man𓆏 TT, put a move on Martin at the beginning of lap four as 49-year-old Lougher surged back into second place.

With a clear road ahead of him, Dunlop began to work hard and for the first time in the race opened a slight advantage of 0.5 secꩲonds over Lougher, who had Martin and Anstey in close contention.

Dunlop slowly began to edge away at the head of the field and enjoyed a lead ๊of two seconds at the Deer's Leap section of the 7.4-mile Dundrod circuit on the sixth and final lap.

Lougher now looked comfortable in second place as he had aꦍ one-second cushion over Martin, whoꦅ was digging deep to secure the final podium spot with Anstey breathing down his neck.

Dunlop powered over the line to begin his bid to equal Phillip McCallen's 1996 record of five wins in a d☂ay in convincing style, with effervescent Lougher - 17 times a winner at the Ulster GP - securing a tremendous runner-up finish.

Ma🦄rtin held off Anstey to ensure he finished on the podium for Northern Ireland team Tyco Suzuki, with Cummins taking ✃fifth.

Dunlop was in agony after the rac⛎e as he contends with two slipped discs in his back.

He suffered the injury while working on his machines prior to the Armoy roa💧d races last mont🌳h.