What rating has plunge horse Kopeck De Mee been given? Weights revealed for Cheltenham Festival handicaps

Plunge horse Kopeck De Mee has been assigned a rating of 136 after the weights for the Cheltenham Festival handicaps were revealed on Tuesday.

Owned by JP McManus and trained by Willie Mullins, the five-year-old is yet to run in Britain or Ireland – having been brought from France – but surged into favouritism for the Coral Cup (2.40), County Hurdle (2.00) and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (5.20) this month.

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The rating of 136 allocated to Kopeck De Mee would have secured him a run in all of those contests last year. He has been given a weight of 10st 6lb in the Coral Cup, 10st 10lb in the County and 11st 3lb in the Martin Pipe.

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3.20) will be run as a handicap this year as part of the changes to the 2025 festival and ante-post favourite Stumptown will carry joint-top weight of 11st 10lb following an 8lb hike.

The Gavin Cromwell-trained eight-year-old, already a course-and-distance winner this season, will race off a mark of 157 alongside Conflated, who has been given a 4lb rise. Conflated also heads the weights in the Ultima Handicap Chase (2.40) and the 2m4f½f TrustATrader Plate (4.40). 

The National Hunt Chase (5.20) has also been turned into a handicap and ante-post favourite Now Is The Hour has a rating of 139.

Stencil, the 5-1 favourite for the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (4.40), has been allocated a rating of 135. The weights are headed by Willy De Houelle (11st 12lb) off a rating of 140, up 2lb on his Irish mark.

Stencil (left) Fred Winter favourite carries 11st 7lb off a mark of 135Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Saturday's Ladbrokes Trophy winner Katate Dori has been allocated 137 in the Ultima Handicap Chase, while Grand Annual (4.40) leading contender Libberty Hunter goes off 151. Evan Williams' nine-year-old is also entered in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The weights for the Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase (2.00) are headed by Springwell Bay and Grade 1 winner Croke Park off marks of 154. Jagwar, the ante-post favourite, is up 7lb to a mark of 139 after his win on Trials day.

Pertemps Final (2.40) favourite Jeriko Du Reponet has a rating of 135. The Wallpark, who is also owned by JP McManus but has the option of the Stayers' Hurdle, would carry top weight of 12st off a mark of 152.

Shakem Up'Arry, winner of last year's Plate, has been allocated joint-top weight for the Kim Muir Challenge Cup (5.20) this time. He would carry 12st alongside Duffle Coat, with the pair rated 145.

The Emmet Mullins-trained McLaurey is a leading contender for the County and the Martin Pipe. Like Kopeck De Mee, he has been given a rating of 136, which is 3lb higher than his Irish rating. 

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