Kid heads Plate weights
JP McManus is likely to be typically well represented with It’s A Gimme (10st 6lb), the impressive winner of the Summer Plate at Market Rasen on Saturday, a 10-1 chance for the owner at present.
McManus also has Alderwood (11st 4lb), Vulcanite (11st 2lb) and Competitive Edge (10st 12lb) among a strong attack on this year’s prize.
John Butler has given Minella For Value the green light to take his chance. The eight-year-old has been allotted 11st in the initial weights.
Other contenders include the Rebecca Curtis-trained The Romford Pele (11st 5lb), Jim Culloty’s Cheltenham Festival winner Spring Heeled (11st 4lb) and Donald McCain’s Kie (10st 12lb).
Meanwhile, Royal Ascot hero Pique Sous is being lined up for an audacious double after connections confirmed the dashing grey is set to line up in both next week’s Galway Hurdle and the Betfred Ebor at York next month.
The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old landed the Queen Alexandra Stakes under Ryan Moore in Berkshire last month and is set to revert to the jumping game at Ballybrit before a trip to the Knavesmire on August 23.
With a hurdle rating of 137 Pique Sous is set to carry 10st 8lb in the €150,000 contest on Thursday week.
The top of the weights are dominated by British raiders with John Ferguson’s Purple Bay, a runaway winner of Saturday’s Summer Hurdle at Market Rasen, heading the field on 11st 10lb.
Ferguson also has Parlour Games (10st 12lb), Bordoni (10st 8lb) and Dubai Prince (10st 5lb) among a numerically strong team.
Charlie Longsdon’s Vulcanite is second on the list with a burden of 11st 6lb, with Alan King’s Montbazon (11st 2lb) and the Seamus Mullins-trained Fergal (11st) all on 11 stone or above.
Other contenders include Gordon Elliott’s Bayan (10st 12lb), Tony Martin’s Quick Jack (9st 10lb) and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Plinth (10st 5lb).
