Alfie tops Northumberland weights

Alan Swinbank’s Alfie Flits has been allotted top weight of 9st 12lb in the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate at Newcastle on June 30.

The former top-class bumper performer has won two Listed races on the level and was just beaten by Balkan Knight (9st 10lb) on his last start at Musselburgh.

The Last Drop, placed in the St Leger last year for Barry Hills, could bid to get his career back on track after a couple of below-par runs.

Mont Etoile, winner of the 2006 Ribblesdale Stakes and part-owned by Lester Piggott, has 9st 7lb and reappeared with a satisfactory run over a mile at Pontefract on Monday.

Godolphin’s Scriptwriter is on 9st 1lb, with the Nicky Henderson-trained Sentry Duty, a winner at Newmarket recently, on the same mark.

Clara Allen (8st 13lb) and Aintree Hurdle winner Al Eile (8st 10lb) head the Irish challenge along with Aidan O’Brien’s Grafton Street (8st 5lb), who may get the chance to show what he can do after being withdrawn from the Chester Cup.

Tony Martin has the pick of Salute Him (8st 6lb), Top The Charts (8st 1lb), Leg Spinner and Munnings (both 8st).