Belle Vue stages its first big race of the year with the Bapp Group of Companies Scurry Gold Cup over 260 metres, which gets underway on Saturday.
The event run was inaugurated and given classic status in 1928 and first run at the old Clapton venue, where it took place every year until it closed in 1974.
The event which was by then worth £5,000 (the equivalent of £49,500 today) to the winner transferred to Slough and run at the West London venue until that closed in 1987. The brilliant Yankee Express won it a record breaking three consecutive years between 1982-84.
The race then moved to Catford, which staged in until 2002. It was then been run at Perry Barr and at Belle Vue since 2009.
Only one Derby winner had landed the event; that was Palms Printer in 1961.
Troy Bella, who picked up £2,500 for winning last year’s event, is back to defend his title and can be backed at 7-1. The favourite at 4-1 is Droopys Reel.
Angela Harrison’s runner has won five of his six races at four different venues.
Draw and best odds:
Heat One:
1 Tree Top Jet 12
2 Seaview Elmo 125
3 Siberian River 40
4 Newinn Billy (m) 33
5 Ballymac Conte (m) 66
6 Geelo Brezza (w) 7
Heat Two:
1 Beaming Mix Up 66
2 Droopys Reel 4
3 Levante Beach 10
4 Newinn Mac (m) 25
5 Coal Butler (m) 16
6 Troy Bella (W) 7
Heat Three
1 Ballymac Image 200
2 Erins Friend 80
3 Pull The Trigger 20
4 Coolavanny Dylan (m) 6
5 Hit Squad (m) 50
6 Wall Garden (w) 50
Heat Four
1 Mahogany Prince 80
2 Mydras Tipp 80
3 Molly Dancer 250
4 Tullig Irish (m) 16
5 Hello Pebbles (m) 33
6 Onefortheroad (w) 80
