Fifty-three weight-for-age hopefuls remain in 2016 Cox Plate contention after Racing Victoria took second acceptances for the Moonee Valley classic this week.

Seven-time Group 1 winner Winx headlines the 2016 Cox Plate second acceptances. Photo: Steve Hart.

Second declarations closed for a number of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival majors on Tuesday including those for the $3.05 million Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) taking place on Saturday October 22.

Down from 87 at first acceptance stage, second Cox Plate acceptances are also down on the 73 at this stage last year.

Winx continues to dominate the Cox Plate entries and pre-field betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for Australasia’s weight-for-age championship.

Chris Waller’s defending Cox Plate winner has approached odds-on territory in all-in Cox Plate betting now paying $1.80 to go back-to-back after posting her eleventh win on the trot in an easy Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) success in Sydney last weekend.

Waller had seven first acceptors in his shot at back-to-back Cox Plate trophies and has lost just one entry with six still in the mix.

Along with Winx Waller could be represented in this spring’s Cox Plate field by: Preferment, Counterattack, Vanbrugh, Mackintosh and Omei Sword.

Favourite for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) a fortnight earlier at Caulfield, Omei Sword was last seen running second in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m).

She is one of three fillies still on Cox Plate contention along with the Robbie Laing-trained Missrock and the David Vandyke-trained Group 1 winner Yankee Rose who get in on 47.5kg if accepted.

Six three-year-old colts and one three-year-old gelding also feature in the Cox Plate second acceptances including the Tony Pike-trained JJ Atkins winning Kiwi Sacred Elixir and the undefeated Team Hawkes-trained Swear.

The last three-year-old Cox Plate winner was Shamus Award (2013).

There are five international Cox Plate second declarations this spring, down from the 11 possible international raiders for Winx to take on at first acceptance stage.

Headlining the international contingent are the likes of Andre Fabre’s Group 1 winning French stallion Vadamos who saluted in elite level company over the mile over the weekend at Chantilly and the Adian O’Brien-trained Order Of St George.

Order Of St George is also among the six internationals still entered for the 2016 Caulfield Cup.

Irish invitee Highland Reel has also been paid up for by O’Brien – who won the 2014 Cox Plate with Adelaide – as have stablemate Sir Isaac Newton and the Charlie Appleby-trained Scottish.

Following Winx in the latest Cox Plate markets is the John O’Shea-trained Hartnell ($9), runaway winner of the weight-for-age Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) at Randwick in Sydney last Saturday, who ran fifth in last year’s edition.

O’Shea has a total of five Cox Plate second acceptors including also George Main Stakes runner-up Hauraki and third placegetter in the same Sydney elite level dominated by Winx It’s Somewhat.

Another top local hope in the mix is the Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes winner Awesome Rock for Leon & Troy Corstens who earned the ballot free ride into the race.

Darren Weir has five entries including Palentino and Black Heart Bart who ran the quinella in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 10, as well as Japanese import Tosen Stardom.

Weir opted not to pay-up for his Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance and Signoff, the latter still in the mix for the Caulfield Cup however.

Other notable second acceptors include the Robert Hickmott-trained Ranvet Stakes champ The United States, Kris Lees’ three-time Group 1 winning mare Lucia Valentina and the Lindsay Park-trained four-year-old Kiwi expat He’s Our Rokkii.

The Cox Plate 2016 third acceptances close at midday (local time) on October 4.

See below for the full 2016 Cox Plate second acceptances, updated markets now open at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2016 Cox Plate Second Acceptances

Moonee Valley Race 8 – 22/10/2016