Fifteen international raiders remain in Caulfield Cup 2016 contention after Racing Victoria received a bumper crop of overseas gallopers at first acceptance stage for the October 15 classic this week.

Last start Chelmsford Stakes winner Hartnell is one of seven John O’Shea-trained 2016 Caulfield Cup first acceptances. Photo: Steve Hart.

Down from last year (114), there are 108 first acceptors for the $3 million Group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) including nine for Irish horseman Aidan O’Brien.

O’Brien’s charge features the likes of Idaho who sits top of the current Caulfield Cup ballot, Bondi Beach who ran 16^th in last year’s Melbourne Cup, and his equal 58kg top weights Order Of St George and Highland Reel.

Highland Reel is the shortest-priced of the O’Brien-trained runners in all-in Caulfield Cup betting paying $21, the recent King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner best known down under for his third to Winx in the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) last October.

O’Brien also still has seven remaining Cox Plate 2016 hopes at first acceptance stage for the weight-for-age classic led by Highland Reel, the October 22 showdown drawing 87 first declarations.

“We are delighted to have such a strong contingent of internationally-prepared runners among the first acceptances for the BMW Caulfield Cup and William Hill Cox Plate,” Racing Victoria Executive General Manager of Racing Greg Carpenter said on Tuesday.

“To have the last two Ascot Gold Cup winners in Order of St George and Trip To Paris, as well as Highland Reel, the winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and 2015 Grand Prix de Paris winner Erupt adds tremendous depth to the prospective make-up of the BMW Caulfield Cup field.”

Current favourite in futures Caulfield Cup odds at $15 is fellow international Scottish prepared by Newmarket’s Charlie Appleby.

The Teofilo five-year-old was last seen winning a Group 3 at York on August 20 with 59.5kg on his back and his 54.5kg Caulfield Cup weight allocation looks favourable.

Other headline international entries include the Ed Dunlop-trained 2015 Caulfield Cup runner-up Trip To Paris, French stallion Erupt and another O’Brien-trained son of Galileo Sir Isaac Newton.

Ranvet Stakes winner The United States is the best fancied of the locals also at $15 to hand owner Lloyd Williams another win in the mile and a half showdown.

John O’Shea has seven entries including last Saturday’s Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes winner by eight lengths Hartnell ($17) and Hauraki ($26) who won the Group 2 Tramway Stakes last weekend in Sydney.

Last year’s Caulfield Cup third placegetter Our Ivanhowe, subsequent winner of the winter’s Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) in Brisbane, is the best of five entries for Lee & Anthony Freedman along with Tom Melbourne.

Another previous Caulfield Cup placegetter in the mix is the Lindsay Park-trained internationally-tested Oaks winning mare Rising Romance ($21) who finished second in the 2014 behind Admire Ratki.

The headline four-year-olds are the Mick Price-trained VRC Derby winner from last November Tarzino and reigning Crown Oaks winner Jameka for local trainer Ciraon Maher.

Other noteworthy first acceptors include Japanese import Tosen Stardom and last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance, two of the 13 hopes in the mix for Darren Weir.

New Zealander Mongolian Khan (2015) won last year and in 2016 the most notable Kiwi in Caulfield Cup contention is the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained ATC Derby winner Tavago ($26).

The most notable omissions include the O’Brien-trained Deauville, the O’Shea-trained Old North and Kiwi galloper What’s The Story.

The next round of Caulfield Cup acceptances are the second declarations closing at midday (local) on October 4, 2016.

Check out the full 2016 Caulfield Cup first acceptances below then head to Ladbrokes.com.au to back your early selections at the hottest odds.

2016 Caulfield Cup First Acceptances

Caulfield Race 8 – 15/10/2016