Bees blood three.

Coventry Bees blood three new signings when the tapes go up on their 2004 season with an Elite League challenge match at Oxford on Friday night. Hot British prospect Chris Harris, American youngster Bryan Yarrow and 16-year-old Danish wonderkid Morten Risager have all joined the club following a winter revamp of the line-up.

Under the new grading system for team building, Buildbase Bees boss Colin Pratt was forced to shed three of the side who finished runners-up to Poole in both the Elite League play-offs and KO Cup in 2003 - skipper Billy Hamill, British Grand Prix star Lee Richardson and Californian prospect Ryan Fisher.

Harris has joined on a five-figure fee from the former Peterborough promotion, having doubled up with Peterborough and Premier League Trelawny last season, while both Yarrow, 19, and Risager will be making their British League debuts.

Bees boss Colin Pratt, who will name the new captain at Thursday's press and practice day at Brandon, said: "It is sad we have had to partly dismantle last year's team, but we have a very young side this season and one that can only improve. People say we are not that strong, but don't write us off quite yet." Oxford also have three new signings, including ex-Bee Fisher who has teamed up with former Coventry captain Greg Hancock at Cowley this year.

Bees assets John Jorgensen (Somerset) and Shaun Tacey (King's Lynn) will be Coventry's two Premier League back-up riders in 2004. They will take the No. 8 and 9 positions and will be eligible to cover for the team's two reserves if they are injured or unavailable. Somerset's Jamie Smith will share doubling-up duties with Jason Bunyan, who will also ride in the Premier League for the Isle of Wight this year.

Coventry will run a team in the Conference Trophy this season called the DLG Cougars. Young Bees boss Des Quinney is manager of the Cougars, who will kick start their 14-match campaign at home to Wimbledon at Brandon on Monday April 19. Quinney is allowed a 12 man squad, and has so far signed seven riders. They are Tom Brown, Karl Mason, Jeremy Pestell, Carl Downs, Darren Andrews, Lawrence Needs and Danny Hughes.