The Melbourne Cup dream remains alive for 71 horses following first acceptances being taken.
Of the 71 horses remaining, 13 are international acceptances for the 3200m showpiece at Flemington on November 3.
Last year’s winner and this year’s topweight Half Yours remains in contention as he looks to go back-to-back for Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
Half Yours progresses his campaign towards the Melbourne Cup in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday, after which a decision will be made as to whether the stayer heads to the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 17 or the Cox Plate (2000m) at Flemington a week later.
Cup winning trainer Ciaron Maher has the strongest number left in the Melbourne Cup with 14 first acceptances including Shockletz, who gained a ballot exemption via her win in The Archer Stakes on September 12, along with Middle Earth and Okita Soushi, each of whom have a Cup placing to their credit.
Chris Waller has eight horses still in contention, including Aeliana, Birdman, Asterix, Ohope Wins, Valiant King and Soulcombe.
Of the 13 international horses in the Cup, already in Australia are Small Fry, Omni Man, Starford – from the Joseph O’Brien team, Wine Dark Sea (Harry Charlton), Enfjaar (Roger Varian) and Point Of Law (Maher).
Those that are currently in quarantine and awaiting shipment to Melbourne are the O’Brien-trained Sons And Lovers, Trustyourinstinct, Defiantly, James J Braddock, Goodie Two Shoes along with Hopewell Rock (George Boughey) and Japan’s Stinger Glass (Yasuo Tomomichi).
Second acceptances close on October 13 with The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday offers the winner a ballot exemption.
Other ballot exempt races include the Caulfield Cup, the Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 21 and the Cox Plate and Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) on October 24.
