Global powerhouse Godolphin could have a quarter of the Melbourne Cup field, paying up for six horses at the latest acceptance stage including the favourite Hartnell.
There were 32 horses left in contention for the Cup after second declarations were taken on Monday with a maximum of 24 to line up on November 1.
The John O Shea-trained Hartnell, second to Winx in Saturday’s Cox Plate, heads the group from the Charlie Appleby-trained Scottish, Qewy and Oceanographer with Secret Number and Beautiful Romance from the Saeed bin Suroor stable also among the acceptances.