Blue Square are proud to sponsor one the most historic and prestigious competitions in the Greyhound calendar. The role of honour includes the legendary Scurlogue Champ and more recently Midway Skipper won the title in 2009 and 2010.

This year the race moves to Sittingbourne (9.45pm – Wednesday 4th May) and it should provide a terrific spectacle to those at the track and watching on Sky Sports. The heats for the TV Trophy were run recently and provided three cracking contests and here is a brief preview of the six finalists.

Trap One

Knockies Hannah – winner of 13 of her 44 races for John Mullins, this April 2008 daughter of the early-paced ex-‘Stow stayer Knockeen Star posted the quickest heat winning time (56.95 calculated) last month when gamely beating Minnies Penske. This five time winner at Sittingbourne has a great chance if able to use her early pace to lead the field.

Trap Two

Killishin Masai will always be remembered for his part in the historic triple dead-heat at Romford in January. However, he is a classy stayer in his own right, winning 24 of his 58 career starts. This son of Westmead Hawk has broken track records at Swindon, Kinsley and Harlow. He showed a great combination of class and courage to win his heat by a whisker from Aero Gaga.

Trap Three

Slick Sapphire is lightly raced – this will only be her 15th start in the UK – and as the winner of 6 of her first 14 runs, she has already proved a useful runner over a trip. Her heat win was her first run at Sittingbourne and it says a lot for her class and versatility that she managed to beat Ministry Magpie. A January 2008 daughter of Flying Penske will have a great chance if breaking first.

Trap Four

Areo Gaga will be the outsider of the six runners tonight, but this tough and consistent sort as got form that gives him a chance of giving Paul Young another win in this historic race. When winning the Tony Williams Marathon at Romford in March, Aero Gaga beat both Knockies Hannah and Ministry Magpie. This April 2008 son of Kinloch Brae was only beaten a short head by Killishin Masai in his heat.

Trap Five

Minnies Penske will be a popular choice to give local trainer Tony Collett a famous win. This August 2008 daughter of Flying Penske is in the form of her life, winning 6 of her last eight starts, at five different tracks. In her heat, Minnies Penske never got on terms with Knockies Hannah, but that was her first run for a month and connections expect their staying star to reverse that form.

Trap Six

Ministry Magpie endured a luckless run in the 2010 TV Trophy final at Kinsley and bids to give Lorraine Sams a second win in this event. She has been in blinding form in recent weeks, finishing in the first two in 10 of her last 14 races. Despite being bumped on at least three occasions in her heat, Ministry Magpie stayed on well to only just be beaten by Slick Sapphire.

Latest prices: 5/2 Minnies Penske, 11/4 Ministry Magpie, 4/1 Knockies Hannah, 9/2 Killishin Masai, 5/1 Slick Sapphire, 12/1 Aero Gaga.