Third declarations for the 2013 Caulfield Cup were taken by Racing Victoria today with 41 horses still heading towards a start in the world’s richest mile and a half handicap.

Current favourite Hawkspur is one of five Chris Waller-trained Caulfield Cup 2013 third acceptors. Photo: Steve Hart.

The numbers for this year’s $2.5 million Group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m), due to run Saturday week on October 19 at Caulfield Racecourse, are down from 72 at second acceptance stage last month.

Current favourites in the Caulfield Cup post-third declaration odds are the Chris Waller-trained duo of Hawkspur and Royal Descent.

Winner of the Queensland Derby as a three-year-old during the winter, Purrealist four-year-old Hawkspur ran on the weekend at Flemington finishing a credible fifth in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) in a run they are sure to improve on over more distance.

Royal Descent also won a Group 1 for Waller last season taking out the ATC Oaks and finished a luckless 11^th in the Turnbull with a run that lost her few admirers going into the Caulfield Cup.

Waller also paid up for Makybe Diva Stakes champ Foreteller who ran 12^th in the Underwood last start, last year’s Melbourne Cup fourth placed Kelinni and Moriarty who ran fifth in the Group 1 The Metropolitan over the 2400m in Sydney on the weekend.

Other top fancies in the latest Caulfield Cup betting markets meanwhile include the Roger James-trained Kiwi mare Silent Achiever, last start USA St Leger winner Dandino, David Hayes’ British import Jet Away, the Mark Kavanagh-trained Australian Cup champ Super Cool and recent Underwood Stakes minor placegetter Dear Demi.

Two Caulfield Cup third acceptors meanwhile were penalised for their wins over the weekend with the Lloyd Williams-owned Seville who did a stellar job to win the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney and the Michael Moroney-trained Araldo both copping an extra 1kg.

High Chaparral stallion Araldo was actually second over the line in the Listed The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington but was awarded the official win upon protest over Melbourne Cup-bound Sea Moon.

Seville meanwhile will be out to become the fourth horse since 1980 to complete the Metropolitan – Caulfield Cup double following Tawqeet (2006), Railings (2005) and Hayai (1983) who were all also penalised 1kg for their respective Metrop victories.

Going back to Sea Moon, also owned by Lloyd Williams, they are one of three Caulfield Cup third acceptors yet to pass the first ballot clause along with international galloper Trevieres and the David Hayes-trained Bass Strait.

The trio gets a chance this weekend racing in either the $400,000 Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) or the $220,000 Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield, the winners of which are exempt from Caulfield Cup ballot.

Two notable omissions from Caulfield Cup contention are then the Gai Waterhouse-trained Fiorente and Trent Busuttin’s Kiwi galloper Sangster.

Waterhouse’s Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes winner Fiorente was a brave fourth in the Turnbull on the weekend and will now head towards the $6.2 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), which they ran second to Green Moon in in their Australian debut last spring, via the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) under weight-for-age conditions on October 26.

Sangster, who bummed out with a dead last in the Turnbull, meanwhile has had their goals reevaluated and they will now run in the $250,000 Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) on Cox Plate Day.

The 2013 Caulfield Cup final field is now due for release on Tuesday October 15 and will be published right here at Races.com.au.

Immediately after the final field is out our preferred online bookmaker Ladbrokes.com.au will be going live with their incredible Double The Odds promo on the Caulfield Cup giving you DOUBLE the fixed win price on all the runners – also available this weekend for the Caulfield Guineas!

2013 Caulfield Cup Third Declarations

Caulfield Racecourse – 19/10/2013