CityLife

Doves early favourite for Mercury Prize

Doves at Delamere Forest recently

THE bandwagon in support of Doves following in Elbow’s triumphant footsteps at this year’s Mercury Prize ceremony appears to have rolled into the bookies’ path.

As, even before the 2009 nominations have been announced, Boylesports.com have made the indie-dance veterans 3-1 favourites to bag the prestigious gong in September.

Their fourth LP, Kingdom Of Rust, garnered a plethora of warm reviews on release earlier this year and is expected to make the shortlist when it comes out on July 21.

Boylesports.com's current odds for the Barclaycard Mercury Prize are as follows:

Doves – 'Kingdom Of Rust' (3-1)
Little Boots – 'Hands' (4-1)
Bat for Lashes – 'Two Suns' (13-2)
La Roux – 'La Roux' (7-1)
Florence & The Machine – 'Lungs' (10-1)
Lily Allen – 'It's Not Me, It's You' (10-1)
Glasvegas – 'Glasvegas' (16-1)

The winner will be announced on September 8.