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FORCE TOPS HUNT WEIGHTS

The Dermot Weld-trained Major Force heads the 101 entries revealed today for the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot on June 21st.

The four-year-old son of Woodman, a dual Group Three winner at the Curragh last season, has been alloted 10-1 for the £120,000 contest.

Godolphin provide four of the first six in the weights.

The Dubai operation are best known for their exploits in Group One races but ran Fly To The Stars in this one-mile contest two years ago, the top-weight finishing a narrow second to Refuse To Lose.

They have a total of six entries includes Easaar (10st), who finished last in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on Tuesday, Slip Stream (9-11), Siege (9-10) - second in the Britannia Stakes at last year's Royal meeting - and Sicnee (9-9).

Last year's winner Showboat has been allotted 9-8 along with Swallow Flight, winner of Monday's Doubleprint Rated Stakes at Sandown.

Other notable entries include Rosebery Handicap winner Pulau Tioman (9-6), last year's Britannia Stakes victor Pythios (9-0), and John Ferneley (8-9) and Katy Nowaitee (8-6), who landed the Worthington Lincoln and Worthington Spring Mile respectively at Doncaster in March.

The latter has not raced since that success but trainer Peter Harris is pleased with the filly's progress.

He said: "Her weight's all right and she should get in the race.

"It wasn't the plan early on to rest her this long but I haven't run her for the last four weeks in case she got a penalty or her handicap rating went up.

"She's 100 per cent on course. She was fit enough to run first time out and I'm quite confident she'll be ready for the race.

"She doesn't mind the going, she just doesn't want extremes."

The four-year-old has only raced five times in her whole career, winning three of her races.

"She had lots of problems as a two-year-old and it wasn't until the August of her three-year-old career that she first ran," Harris said. "The owners have been very patient."

Superior Premium (10st), winner of the 1998 Stewards' Cup, heads 118 entries for the Wokingham Stakes at Ascot two days later.

Last year's first and second, Deep Space and Halmahera, have been set 9-12 and 9-9 respectively while 1999 Stewards' Cup victor Harmonic Way is on 9-6.

Two entries likely to catch the eye of bookmakers and punters are the Jeremy Noseda-trained San Salvador and David Nicholls' Pepperdine, who are on 9st and 8-13 respectively.

There were no major surprises among the forfeits for the Group One races at the prestigious meeting.

King's Best, Bachir and China Visit remain in the St James's Palace Stakes while Lahan and Crimplene are set to clash in the Coronation Stakes.

The last three Gold Cup winners Celeric, Kayf Tara and Enzeli are on course to meet in this year's renewal, while Dubai Millennium and Montjeu could still clash in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes.