Caulfield Cup favourite Incentivise also remains in contention for the Cox Plate after third declarations for both races were taken on Tuesday.
The number that remains in contention for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 16 has been whittled down to 31 while for the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley the following week, that number is 26.
Incentivise’s owners and trainer Peter Moody have elected to keep their options open with last Saturday’s Group 1 Turnbull Stakes winner who is a short-priced favourite to take honours in the Caulfield Cup.
Runner-up to Incentivise on Saturday, Young Werther, is safely in the Caulfield Cup field, as is Montefilia who was successful in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The powerful partnership of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace still have a quartet of Caulfield Cup contenders with Derby hero Explosive Jack and 2020 Melbourne Cup fifth placegetter Persan both assured of a start with High Emocean and Floating Artist outside the safety limit.
Nonconformist is guaranteed a place in the field thanks to his last-start win in the Group 3 MRC Foundation Cup, but the other ballot-exempt horse, Mornington Cup winner Mount Popa, will now not press onto the Caulfield Cup after below-par performances this preparation for Team Hawkes.
Delphi, Future Score, Rostropovich, Aktau and Floating Artist will all be trying to gain a ballot exemption by winning the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on Saturday.
The Mike Moroney-trained Chapada currently sits number 18 in the Order of Entry.
Other notable horses withdrawn at the third acceptances stage include Verry Elleegant and Sir Dragonet with their connections opting to focus instead on the 2021 Cox Plate.
The prospect of a rematch between Incentivise and Verry Elleegant remains alive after both horses remained in the acceptances list for the Cox Plate.
That elite list includes the red-hot Cox Plate favourite Zaaki, the Joseph O’Brien-trained State Of Rest, and imported galloper Gold Trip, who has joined the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable who also have Sir Dragonet still in contention for back-to-back wins.
