Stobart VK Vent Axia Honda rider McGuinness was holding a slender lead when, on the fifteenth and final lap, the 13 times TT winner came upon some backmarkers at the Melco Hairpin.

The 2001 winner had to shut off to avoid a collision which allowed rival Steve Plater through to snatch his second successive Macau victory - leaving a bitterly disappointed McGuinness with the slim consolation of a new lap record. McGuinness' team-mate Ian Hutchinson was forced to retire with a fuel-related misfire.

"I really feel for the team out there, they've done a fantastic job and both John and Ian have been incredibly unlucky," said team owner Paul Bird. "Once again, they proved that they were the men to beat in practice and to come away without a win is soul destroying. But then again, John never seems to have any luck out there, I've told them both to go and drown their sorrows!"

Also with good reason to drown his sorrows was pole sitter and joint Macau record-holder Rutter. The 34-year-old Aviva MSS Discovery Kawasaki rider had been hoping for a seventh Macau win, but was left without even a podium after being forced down the escape road at the 90 degree Lisboa corner three laps from the end when Austrian rival Thomas Hinterreiter rode side-by-side with him towards the turn.

"I'm gutted," confessed Rutter, who eventually finished eleventh. "These things happen in racing but this isn't the result we came all this way for, nor is it the result me and the team deserved after an excellent couple of qualifying sessions. I've got to put this behind me now and look forward to next year. I'd like to think I will be back here again in 2008 to get a record seventh win, as Steve's got some way to go to catch me up!"

"To say that we're disappointed is an understatement. To be on pole position with a lap of that calibre and then to end up in 11th is simply devastating," admitted team owner Nicky Morgan. "It is one of those things but it seems to have summed up our luck this year - almost non-existent!"