Following his astonishing performance at Macau last year, in which he denied fellow Briton Michael Rutter a seventh – and record-breaking – Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix title, Steve Plater is back this year aboard the A.I.M. Racing Yamaha 1000 to defend his crown. His Macau win catapulted the rider into the spotlight, landing him a full time ride with the team in the British Superbike Championship, the North West 200, the Isle of Man TT, as well as a place in the Kawasaki’s World Endurance Championship campaign and his title defence in the Far East. However Plater must overcome a tough line-up of adversaries from twelve nations and territories if he is to repeat his success of a year ago, the most determined of which will undoubtedly be Rutter who will this time be racing the Aviva Kawasaki 1000. Last year Rutter’s attempts to better the existing record of Macau wins, which he holds jointly with motorcycle star Ron Haslam, were thwarted by Plater and he had to settle for setting a new lap record of 2:27.588. Stobart Motorsport is fielding a strong entry in the form of Ian Hutchinson, 3rd last year having challenged for victory in the early stages, and 2001 Macau winner John McGuinness. McGuinness notched up his 13th Isle of Man TT victory earlier this year, setting a new outright lap record of 130mph, and has been on scorching form ever since. Guy Martin makes his 3rd visit to Macau having finished 5th last year. This time he will be on a Honda 1000 with Solent Scientific Racing, while Macau regular Stephen Thompson will be aboard the IGT Racing Team Suzuki 1000. James McBride on the JV Racing Yamaha 1000, Les Shand once again on a Honda 1000 with BTS Racing, and Chris Palmer on the Slingshot Racing Yamaha 1000, round off the strong group of British regulars. British newcomer Martin Jessop makes his Far East debut on a DMR Racing Yamaha 1000. Twenty one-year-old Jessop began his career at the age of six in motocross, with success moving him through the ranks to first the British Championship and then European Youth Supercross series. His first road race came at 17 on a GP125cc Honda and, after just two years, he earned a place with a World Endurance Championship Phase One junior team where he became the youngest ever rider to score championship points. From there he moved to the British Superstock Championship, where his best result was 3rd, and the British Supersport Championship on a 749 Ducati. Next year Jessop plans to compete in the British Superbike Championship. Jessop is partnered on the team by another newcomer Conor Cummins from the Isle of Man. Cummins, also 21, began his career like most youngsters on the Isle of Man on short circuits. He made an impressive road racing debut in 2005, competing in the R6 Cup. He made his Isle of Man TT debut the following year, and in 2007 won two Irish titles and tops the prestigious Duke Road Race Rankings which ranks British and Irish road racers. Also taking on Macau’s awe-inspiring 6.2km street circuit is Dennis Hobbs, partnering Palmer at Slingshot Racing. Hobbs, 24, won the Honda Hornet Championship in 2000, moving to British Supersport the following year and then British Superstock in 2002, where he finished 3rd in his second year. In 2004, Hobbs finished 3rd in the British Superbike Privateer Cup, earning himself some rides in the World Superbike Championship the following year. He currently rides for Padgett’s in the British Supersport Championship and was in line to clinch the title before a fall in the penultimate round at Donington. Hobbs has made a spectacular comeback after a major injury. Unaware of the fact he had broken his neck, he continued racing aggravating the injury. After an operation, the outcome of which was touch and go, he made an impressive comeback and has not looked back since. With Irish rider and Macau regular Martin Finnegan on board, legendary Italian marque MV Agusta will make its Macau debut this year. Finnegan will ride a factory MV Agusta F4 312 1000cc Superbike, the first ever appearance of the bike outside Italy. The team and the machine itself are named after the 312kph speed which earned the 1000cc F4 the title of the world’s fastest production bike. The Agusta story goes back to 1907, is steeped in history, and ignites fierce passions amongst Italian motorcycle fans. Its appearance at Macau will certainly be one for this history books. After a disappointing showing last year, the USA contingent will be out to make their mark in Asia. Mark “Thriller” Miller has secured the use of the highly competitive Corona Extra Racing Honda 1000 and is looking to capitalise on his Isle of Man experience to repeat his previous success in Macau. John Haner (KWS Racing Suzuki 1000), is hoping to erase the memories of a disastrous 2006 Macau outing when he was let down by machine failure. Jeremy Toye (Lee’s Cycles Racing Suzuki 1000), comes fresh from winning his third successive Toyota open class shoot out race which pays US$50,000 to the winner. These Macau regulars will be joined by fellow American and top flight rider Jimmy Moore, who will make his Macau debut in the 600 Supersport Class on an Aviva Kawasaki. Moore took the 2001 AMA Supersport 750cc and 2002 AMA Superstock Championships, and has ridden for many of the leading American privateer teams. With Michael Rutter as his team mate, the Macau rookie could ask for no better advice on Macau’s demanding Guia Circuit. Once again, the field is a truly international affair with Thomas Hinterreiter of Austria, who finished 7th last year, returning to Macau with the Yamaha Austria Racing Team. Another Macau regular Franky Heidger of Germany is entered by the Dubai-Motomotions.com team on a Suzuki, with fellow countryman Rico Penzkofer returning for a second time but this year recruited to the highly professional Yamaha Austria Racing Team. Gerald Muteau, who made his Macau debut last year, will fly the flag for France with his Team of Paris on a Suzuki and is joined by his Endurance racing partner, Pierre Chapuis, also with Team of Paris but riding a Yamaha. Cameron Donald will represent Australia with the Kawasaki Bollinger-SKSupport outfit. Donald took a magnificent 2nd place in the Isle of Man TT this year in only his second Senior TT outing and is a previous winner of the Macau GP 600cc Supersport class. Rui Reigoto, top Portuguese finisher last year, is entered on the Honda Vodafone Repsol Honda, and Luis Carreira on the Benimoto Suzuki Yoshimura entry and Jose Leite with Suzuki Caepsa BPN bring the number of entries from Portugal to three. Flying the flag for Hong Kong will be Jason Broome on a Suzuki 998, and China Superbike Championship leader Nick Winthrope who returns to Macau riding a Suzuki 1000. In the 600 Supersport category, last year’s winner Steve Allan returns to defend his title this time on an A.I.M. Racing Yamaha. Runner up in 2006, Callum Ramsay is also back but this time on a Solent Scientific racing Honda. Macau riders João Fernandes, Sou Sio Hong, and Leong Iok Choi are all entered in the Supersport class. Fernandes has this year been competing in the FIM World Endurance Championship in the Super Production category, scoring two victories in the class in his debut season. Sou makes his 7th appearance in the race, his best finish to date being 4th in 2001. Leong meanwhile finished 3rd in the category on his debut in 2000. From Chinese Taipei comes Lin Chia Hao who races regularly for a Chinese team across the country, and makes his Macau debut this year on a Yamaha. Hong Kong’s Cheung Wai On, a multiple winner in Macau’s former motorcycle novice race and 3rd in the Supersport class last year, will be aboard a Kawasaki machine this year.