Rutter will not have things all his own way though, as just two-one hundredths of a second behind him in qualifying was Kiwi Bruce Anstey a superbike race winner in 2005, with the front row of the grid completed by John McGuinness (HM Plant Honda) who has yet to win a 'big race' around the Triangle.

Last year's double winner and lap record holder Steve Plater (AIM Yamaha) starts from the second row of the grid alongside the best of the local runners Ryan Rainey (IFS Yamaha) and Guy Martin (Hydrex Honda).

Pre-race favourite Cameron Donald will start from the fourth row of the grid having suffered machine problems throughout qualifying while another potential front-runner Ian Hutchinson starts from a lowly 22nd position nursing a shoulder injury and having also suffered mechanical problems during practice.

Anstey meanwhile heads the field in both the supersport and superstock classes on his Relentless Suzuki by TAS machines and will be looking to add to his current tally of six wins at the North West with the opposition in both these classes likely to come from Uel Duncan Team Honda riders Aussie Cameron Donald and Scot Keith Amor, McGuinness and Plater with the local challenge likely to come from Carrickfergus rider Alastair Seeley, Rainey, Ryan Farquhar and Adrian Archibald.

Robert Dunlop (KES Aprilia) looks to make it win number 16 at the North West when he lines up on the second row of the grid for the 125/400cc race with youngest son Michael also a contender while oldest son William goes in the concurrently ran 250cc race where pole setter Darren Burns will be looking for a home victory, with McGuinness, a winner of this particular class back in 2000, as the chief opposition.

The chief threat to Dunlop will come from the 125cc machines of Michael Wilcox and Chris Palmer with Oliver Linsdell.