Despite holding top spot in pre-nomination betting the Chris Waller-trained Winx was not nominated for the Caulfield Cup 2016 when early entries for the October 15 classic closed on Tuesday.

Last year’s runner-up Trip To Paris is one of 28 international raiders among the 2016 Caulfield Cup nominations for this spring. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The superstar mare was the headliner of 157 nominations taken for this year’s $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), where she’ll defend her title at Moonee Valley on October 22, but Waller decided not to play along with the bookies when it came to a run a week earlier in the $3 million Group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m).

Waller still holds 14 Caulfield Cup nominations chasing his first win in the classic with the likes of Sydney Cup placegetter Grand Marshal, progressive Caulfield specialist Hursley, multiple Group 1 winner Preferment and dour stayer Who Shot Thebarman.

The first of the Big 3 spring majors, the 2016 Caulfield Cup takes place on Saturday October 15 and attracted 170 nominations this year, down from 209 last season.

What is up from 25 at nomination stage last Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is the number of Northern Hemisphere-trained entries with 28 international raiders with their eye on this year’s Caulfield Cup prize.

Mikel Delzangle’s French galloper Dunaden (2012) was the last Northern Hemisphere-trained Caulfield Cup winner and this spring the visitors are back in force including 12 for Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien.

O’Brien also has 11 Cox Plate nominations, including last year’s third-placegetter in the weight-for-age classic Highland Ree” who is a Caulfield Cup nominee as well.

His other most notable Caulfield Cup entry is Order Of St George, part-owned by Lloyd Williams and last seen winning the Ascot Gold Cup.

Order Of St George is early favourite to win the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday of November, and if he gets the right weight for a shot at the ‘race that stops a nation’ could have an earlier spring cups run at Caulfield.

Triple Melbourne Cup second-placed trainer Ed Dunlop is back with a livewire Caulfield Cup shot, the Newmarket horseman nominating for last year’s runner-up Trip To Paris.

The Champs Elysees gelding was narrowly beaten by Kiwi galloper Mongolian Khan in last year’s Caulfield Cup quinella before a Melbourne Cup fourth and could be back down under looking to go one better in 2016.

Finishing off last season’s Caulfield Cup trifecta in third was the Lee & Anthony Freedman-trained German import Our Ivanhowe who is also nominated for another go this spring.

The now seven-year-old Soldier Hollow stallion was last seen winning Brisbane’s Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on May 21.

If successful this October Our Ivanhowe will become the third seven-year-old Caulfield Cup winner in five years after Dunaden’s drought breaking win for that age group in 2012 was followed by Admire Rakti (2014).

Back on the home front, with Winx out the other early favourites in futures Caulfield Cup betting who remain in the hunt for the richest mile and a half handicap race in the world are Tarzino and The United States.

Both are also Cox Plate-nominated and are prepared by Mick Price and Robert Hickmott respectively, Tavistock stallion Tarzino winner of last year’s Victoria Derby while veteran galloper The United States was last seen crossing second to Lucia Valentina in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney.

Other headline Caulfield Cup nominations include the John O’Shea-trained Doomben Cup runner-up Hauraki for Godolphin, Ciaron Maher’s Crown Oaks winner from last spring Jameka, Perth Cup winning mare Real Love for last year’s Melbourne Cup winning trainer Darren Weir, her stablemate Signoff and the reigning Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance.

Surprisingly no Japanese-trained horses were among the international Caulfield Cup hopes this spring, but Weir has taken over the preparation of Japanese import Tosen Stardom for his Caulfield Cup bid.

Caulfield Cup first acceptances close on September 6 followed by second (September 20) and third (October 4) declarations.

The official 2016 Caulfield Cup field of final acceptances is out on October 11 and will be published right here at Races.com.au.

In the meantime back your pre-field Caulfield Cup betting selections at the right price online at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost!

2016 Caulfield Cup Nominations

Caulfield Race 8 – 15/10/2016