SEAN Neary secured two podium places in the Ducati TriOptions Cup at Thruxton at the weekend.

The 30-year-old rider from Lymm qualified in third place and started the first of two 10-lap races from the front row of the grid.

As the race got underway, Neary completed the first two laps in second place before overhauling Robbie Brown to take the lead which he held to lap seven.

Brown briefly took the lead once more but was beaten back by Neary on lap eight.

It looked as if the Zoek Racing rider would take the win but on the last lap Leon Morris made a pass and made it stick to secure the win ahead of Neary, the gap being just one tenth of a second.

Such was the pace between the top four riders that Neary set the fastest lap to establish a new lap record of 1m 20.349s – 105.55mph.

Starting race two from pole position, Neary maintained his lead through the first lap but was overhauled by Phil Atkinson on lap two.

Pushing hard, Neary was able to snatch the lead back and became embroiled in a four-rider battle for supremacy.

He held the lead until lap six when he was demoted to second and then third when Morris passed him on the penultimate lap.

Although the action was very close, the four riders came across some back markers at the club chicane just a few yards from the finish line and Neary was unable to find a way through to make a pass on the two riders ahead.

He crossed the finish line in third place to pick up another 16 championship points to add to the 20 scored in the first affair which secured an overall position of third on 121 points in the rider standings at the halfway stage of the championship.

Neary said: "Overall I am happy with my results. I did really want the win but it wasn't to be this time.

"But I got some solid points under my belt and we are now going to some of my stronger circuits, my favourites being Cadwell and Oulton Park so I will be looking to get my win there."

The next round is over the bank holiday weekend of August 27-29 at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire.