Englishman Mike Rutter will be gunning for a hat-trick of titles in today's Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix as he attempts to secure the Ducati factory's first win in the 36-year history of the race on the twisting 3.8-mile Guia circuit. The 29-year-old from Leicestershire will be out to write one for the record books following the fastest-ever qualifying lap that earned him pole position. 'I don't know what it is, but Ducati has never won in Macau before. I suppose it's just one of those things. My Ducati is going well at the moment and if everything goes right, we're going to win this for them,' said Rutter, Macau winner in 1998 and 2000, who will be riding a Ducati Manchester 998cc bike. 'It's going to be hard. We've got a good field behind us, so it could be anyone's race. Yes, it does put pressure on me. There are quite a few people with a chance of winning.' Rutter, this year's British Superbike Championship runner-up, threw down the gauntlet to his opposition as he steered his bike around the circuit in 2:28.286 in the second and final timed session, outgunning defending champion John McGuinness for pole position. McGuinness, astride a Honda Zong Shen Racing 954cc bike, completed the session 2.323 seconds slower than Rutter as the 15-lap Far East Classic shaped up to be one of the most intriguing in years. Third fastest was 1999 Macau winner David Jefferies, who was pleased to be on the front grid after encountering engine problems in Thursday's practice. 'It's good for me and my sponsors if I win a hat-trick of titles. I am just going to go out there and try to do what I can,' said Rutter. Rutter's smooth ride yesterday left his rivals in no doubt as to who would be the man to beat in today's 15-lap race. 'It's Rutter. Michael will be the boy who will win,' declared Jefferies, who came back from a blown engine on Thursday to secure the number three spot on the grid. 'He's got a good bike and everything is going well for him. I was playing catch up because I lost a lot of time when I couldn't get any practice times on Thursday. I went hard on that last lap and everything should be alright for me on race day,' added 30-year-old Jefferies, this year's British production champion and Isle Of Man record lap holder. Ahead of Jefferies on the grid will be McGuinness, who will be chasing back-to-back Macau titles. Should he succeed, he will be the first person to do so since Steve Hislop achieved the feat in 1993 and 1994. Newcomer Stuart Easton, the 20-year-old Scot from Hawick, could make it a double for the European manufacturers in the separate supersport class. Easton was fastest on his 748cc Ducati, almost two seconds faster than his nearest rival, Japanese ace Yusuke Takayama, who was aboard a 600cc Yamaha.
