A total of nine European-based stayers remain in the running for this year's Melbourne Cup following second declarations for the race on Tuesday.
Connections of 85 horses paid the $1450 fee to leave their horse in the famous race.
Among the notable absentees were champion Irish stayer and top-weight Yeats, Tuesday Joy, who faces a three-month ban for bleeding, last year's Caulfield Cup runner-up Douro Valley and veteran stayers Leica Falcon and On A Jeune.
On A Jeune, second to Makybe Diva in 2005, had been shooting for a fifth straight start in the event.
Irish star Septimus, along with Honolulu and northern hemisphere three-year-old Alessandro Volta, leads Aidan O'Brien's three-pronged attack at this year's race.
Dermot Weld, the only trainer to take the Cup back to Europe, still has staying mare Profound Beauty in the race.
Other internationals still there are Yellowstone, trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, and Richard Gibson's stayer Varevees.
As expected Luca Cumani's pair Bauer and Mad Rush and the Godolphin-trained All The Good are still in the race. The three are the only European stayers to have arrived in Melbourne this spring.
A total of 36 horses remain in the Caulfield Cup, including Pompeii Ruler, despite Mick Price saying on the weekend the star galloper would be saved for the Cox Plate. However, he still remains a doubtful starter.
Lloyd Williams made true his promise not to run Zipping, who was absent from the list.
Connections of Weekend Hussler forked out the $1430 fee despite his shock failure in the Turnbull Stakes on Saturday. He will be the top-weight should Pompeii Ruler not run.
Mark Kavanagh's mare Devil Moon was the highest-profile withdrawal from the 2400m race as she battles to overcome a cracked hoof.
And star filly Samantha Miss was one of six three-year-olds remaining in the Cox Plate after third declarations. A total of 33 horses are still in the Moonee Valley race.