Defending champion Half Yours is among 71 horses remaining in contention for the $10.2 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3 following first acceptances.
Ciaron Maher holds the strongest hand numerically with 14 acceptors, headed by Archer Stakes winner Shockletz and Naturalism Stakes winner Zahrann. Middle Earth and Point Of Law are also among Maher’s remaining contenders.
Chris Waller has nine horses still in the race, including Aeliana and 2023 Melbourne Cup runner-up Soulcombe, with both entered for Saturday’s Group 1 Turnbull Stakes.
Half Yours was put through his paces at Flemington on Tuesday ahead of his Turnbull Stakes assignment as Tony and Calvin McEvoy build towards another Melbourne Cup campaign.
Last year’s Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup winner resumed with a sixth placing in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on September 12.
“He looks great, and he looks fit. I thought he looked to work very well this morning,” co-trainer Calvin McEvoy said.
“I think he’s going better (than last year). He has to step up to weight for age now and he is high in the handicaps and rating but I think his first up run in the Makybe Diva (Stakes) was fantastic.”
Half Yours has been allocated 59kg for his Melbourne Cup defence, a significant rise from the 53kg he carried when Jamie Melham guided him to victory in 2025.
The 71 first acceptors represent an increase from the 60 horses remaining at the corresponding stage last year, despite overall nominations falling from 120 in 2025 to 101 this year.
International representation has also increased, with 13 overseas-trained horses still in contention compared with 11 at the same stage last year.
Joseph O’Brien is responsible for nine of those international acceptors. Small Fry, Kizlyar, Omni Man and Starford arrived in Melbourne over the weekend, while Japanese trainer Yasuo Tomomichi’s Stinger Glass is among the next group preparing to travel to Australia after entering pre-export quarantine.
