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Barnfield in search of Scottish, English and Irish Derby success. First stop Shawfield....

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Darrell Williams goes through the top contenders for the Scottish Derby, which starts on April 1st

Hold onto your hats - the Classic season is coming!

The Scottish Derby kicks off in just a few days time (1st April) and then exactly one month later (Thursday 1st May) they'll be going to the traps for the first round of the Derby itself at Wimbledon.

And with the favourite for both events, Barnfield On Air, chasing an unprecedented treble - the final leg is the Irish Derby in September - this promises to be one of the most eagerly awaited Derby seasons for sometime. While entries are still being finalised for the Scottish Derby - the final is live on Sky Sports on Saturday 12th April - the event looks ripe for a lineup jam-packed with class.

Barnfield On Air has started to show his form again just at the right time after a brace of victories at Hove, and trialled well the other night on his first look at the Shawfield circuit. Already touted as the one to beat in an earlier column, he is understandably top of the prices at this stage.

But winning classics doesn't come easy and a string of rivals of the highest order look sure to try and topple Sam Poots' superstar. If you're talking Scottish Derby it's not long before the name Charlie Lister inevitably pops up, with the champion trainer having sent out a remarkable four of the last five winners, and the Newark handler looks sure to be strongly represented again.

Farloe Reason, although without a win in three outings this term, hinted that small blemish could soon be rectified in laying down his cards with a time that was marginally quicker than 'Barney' the other night, while course specialist Meenala Cruiser, who is four times previous winner at the track, including a recent trial stakes success, also caught the eye of the timekeeper at the same session.

Others likely to be big players in the hat for the first round include Toosey Blue, who turned over Farloe Reason at Wimbledon on Trainers Championship night, and Droopys Totti, soon to be re-named Bubbly Totti after his recent change of ownership, winner of the Puppy Stayers race at the Racing Post Festival.

I'm also expecting the Julie Bateson camp to enjoy a good Scottish Derby, and while long term big odds pick Blenheim Dubh was beaten in a recent trial stakes (don't give up on him just yet!), last year's finalist Kylegrove Top looks ready to again play a part judged on a recent CD victory. Hopefully, leading Irish contender and 2007 Derby runner-up Loyal Honcho, will also add another ingredient to what looks sure to be a race to savour. I'll preview the event in more detail ahead of the first round.

In the meantime, Barnfield Slippy will go to the traps odds on favourite for the Stewards Cup final at Walthamstow on Saturday after completing his five timer with easily the fastest time of the night in the heats. While a trap six draw should ensure the Sam Poots trained dog can use his early pace to good effect, it's worth noting the field includes no fewer than four wide seeds, with Aero Blackjack, while uncomfortably housed in trap four, capable of showing a spot of dash from the boxes on occasions. With that in mind, Big Brett Coal, part of Seamus Cahill's Trainers Championship winning team, could be well placed as the only railer to cause a minor upset and continue his fine current run of form, which has seen him finish out of the first two only once in nine starts.