The spring picture has got a little clearer with the nominations closing for two of the three features in Melbourne, the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate.

Tuesday saw 173 horses entered for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19 while there were 137 nominations for the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley a week later.

Entries for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 5 do not close until next month.

While numbers for the Cox Plate were down from 178 12 months ago, there were 20 international gallopers entered, up from 17 last year, including three from Japan.

The Moonee Valley Racing Club is hopeful of gathering support from that Japanese contingent who have not been represented in Australia’s signature middle-distance weight-for-age contest since Lys Gracieux scored in 2019.

Charlotte Mills, head of racing at the MVRC, said the quantity may not have been entered, but the quality was there.

“We’re happy with the quality, especially from the international contingent,” Mills said.

“Plus, we also have three former runners in Fangirl, Mr Brightside and Young Werther among the entries also.”

Total entry for the Caulfield Cup, 173, is two shy of the total in 2023, but the international representation of 36 is 12 more than last year.

Julian Cook, Melbourne Racing Club Racing and Media Officer, said the Club was excited by not just the overall number, but depth and variety within those entries.

“To have 36 entries, up from 24 internationals from last year, is great reward for the work the team has done to attract those entries,” Cook said.

Racing Victoria’s General Manager International and Racing Operations – Paul Bloodworth – said there was 16 trainers with entries across both the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup with 43 horses nominated.

Bloodworth said the RV veterinary protocols introduced following the death of Anthony Van Dyck in the 2020 Melbourne Cup and which resulted in less overseas nominations in the three previous years, was now being better understood by visiting trainers.

“I think that is an indication that trainers overseas are becoming attuned to what is required to come to Australia from a veterinary perspective and they still see the Cox Plate and the Caulfield Cup as viable options,” Bloodworth said.

Bloodworth said of the 43 horses, 14 are rated 115 and above internationally, with 115 being internationally regarded as the Group 1 benchmark around the world.

He said there was 10 Group 1 winners within that group including Rebel’s Romance for Charlie Appleby and Auguste Rodin for Aidan O’Brien, who has 19 horses entered in total.

Those two horses are rated in the top five in the world on grass while White Birch, trained by John Joseph Murphy, is rated in the top 10.

“If we can land anyone of those horses in either of those races, it would certainly add great depth and interest,” Bloodworth said.

“The hard work now begins to try and get these horses across the line to come to Australia and to Melbourne, specifically for either the Caulfield Cup or Cox Plate.”

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