Last year’s winner and current lap record holder John McGuinness is sadly absent due to injury but Team Winfield have moved swiftly to replace him with Josh Brookes taking over their 500cc Paton. It will be the Australian’s first time at the Classic TT presented by Bennetts but, setting off at number eight, he’s sure to be a major contender on, arguably, the strongest bike on the grid.

The strongest competition is likely to come from the Black Eagle Racing pairing of Michael Dunlop (3) and Dean Harrison (9) on MV Agusta’s, the latter having won in 2015 and finished second twelve months ago. Ian Lougher (John Chapman Racing) will also mounted on one of the Italian multi-cylinder machines.  The Welshman won in 2014 and he has the honour of leading the field away at number one this year.

Davies Motorsport Honda trio William Dunlop (6), Alan Oversby (5) and Dominic Herbertson (15) are all podium contenders while Maria Costello (Team Beugger Racing) will be looking to repeat her 2016 rostrum finish when she was third on the Paton. She starts at number 7 with Classic maestro Bill Swallow (16) another rider to be Paton-mounted, this time for Gleve Racing.

The field is packed with potential rostrum men riding British machines - none more so than Lightweight TT winner Michael Rutter (Ripley Land Racing Matchless) at number 4, Jamie Coward (Ted Woof/Craven Concrete Manx Norton) at number 2, Danny Webb (14) on the Dunnell Racing Norton and James Cowton (17) riding the Dave Kenah Racing Norton.

Olie Linsdell, the maiden winner of the race in 2013, will again be on the Flitwick Motorcycles/Steve Bond Royal Enfield, this time with the number ten plate, while amongst Cameron Donald (11) riding the Motagallur Vincent, Chris Swallow (12) on the Wooderson BSA, Daniel Hegarty (18) with the D&M Engineering Honda and James Hillier (19) on the CSC Racing Honda all start in the top twenty. Austrian ace Horst Saiger rounds out the top twenty on the Egli Motorradtechnik Vincent machine.

There’s plenty of talent throughout the field and other riders competing include Ivan Lintin (Brian Richards Racing Matchless), 1993 Formula One TT winner Nick Jefferies (Goathland Garage Norton), David Sellers (Chris Hughes Racing Honda), Peter Boast (D&M Engineering Honda), Phil McGurk (Dave Hardman BSA), Dave Matravers (Round Oak Services Paton), Steve Ferguson (Greenall Racing Honda) and TT Rider Liaison Officer John Barton (Wemoto.com Matchless).

Classic racing stalwarts Hefyn, Bob and Mereydd Owen are back for another effort as are David Madsen-Mygdal, Mark Parrett, Mark Herbertson, Davy Morgan, Michael Russell, Alex Sinclair, Bruno Leroy, Chris McGahan and John Leigh Pemberton. Meanwhile, the leading newcomer of TT2017, Adam McLean, is set to make his Classic TT debut on a 500cc BSA.