Royal Symphony (Image: Ned Hunt)
It could be the three-year-old bunch that hold the biggest fears for Winx's connections as she strives for a third Cox Plate this spring after seven youngsters remained in the race for the weight-for-age championship at second declaration stage on Tuesday.
A total of 48 horses remain in the $3 million Cox Plate on October 28, with the three-year-old brigade holding firm before next month's crucial Group 1 Guineas races at Caulfield.
Caulfield Guineas favourite Royal Symphony heads the list of thee-year-olds remaining in the Cox Plate with Kementari, Levendi, Summer Passage and Sanctioned joined by fillies Catchy and Aloisia.
Cox Plate second acceptances have seen the shortlist for the feature trimmed from 141 horses at nomination time, to 79 after first acceptances to just 48.
Another way of looking at it is Winx has 47 remaining rivals in her quest for three-straight Cox Plates. It is the fewest number of second acceptors in recent years, having had as many as 73 in 2015 prior to Winx's first win, and only 53 last year.
Trainer Chris Waller has six remaining entries including the superstar mare, with McCreery, Tom Melbourne, Comin' Through, Egg Tart and Foxplay the others.
Macedon Lodge has four still in - Almandin, Aloft, Amralah and Sir Isaac Newton.
The internationals remain represented by: Folkswood (Charlie Appleby), Johannes Vermeer (Aidan O'Brien), Kaspersky (Jane Chapple-Hyam), Riven Light (Willie Mullins), Gingernuts (Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards), Taj Mahal (O'Brien) and Summer Passage (Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott).
First acceptances were also taken for the Caulfield Cup on Tuesday, with the race's numbers being reduced from 142 nominations to 70 first acceptors, of which seven are internationals.
This is a big drop in numbers from last year (108 in 2016, of which 15 were internationals).
Second declarations were also taken for the Group 1 Guineas races on October 14, with 59 remaining in the $2 million Caulfield Guineas while 45 fillies remain in the race for the $500,000 Thousand Guineas.
A total of 56 three-year-olds remain in the race for the Blue Sapphire Stakes on October 18 at second declaration stage on Tuesday while 102 staying three-year-olds remain in the race for the Ladbrokes Classic on October 21 at first declaration stage.
Click here for the Caulfield Cup 1st acceptances.
Click here for the Cox Plate 2nd acceptances.
Click here for the Blue Sapphire 2nd acceptances.
Click here for the Thousand Guineas 2nd acceptances.
Click here for the Caulfield Guineas 2nd acceptances.
Click here for the Caulfield Classic 1st acceptances.
Click here for the Manikato Stakes nominations.
Click here for the Victoria Derby nominations.
Click here for the Kennedy Oaks nominations.
Click here for the Darley Classic nominations.