Aidan O’Brien accepts for Melbourne Cup with unbeaten English St Leger winner Jan Brueghel

Champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has left unbeaten his English St Leger winner in contention for a Melbourne Cup start along with 71 others vying for the $8m prize.

A field of 72 runners remains in contention for one of world racing’s greatest prizes in next month’s Melbourne Cup.

Six internationals remain after first acceptances closed for $8m Melbourne Cup, including Onesmoothoperator, Birdman and Sea King, who arrived in Melbourne last weekend.

Irish master trainer Aidan O’Brien accepted with Jan Brueghel, who sits atop Ladbrokes’ market at $11.

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Jan Brueghel is unbeaten in four starts, winning the Group 1 English St Leger at his last outing on September 14.

Last year’s winner Without A Fight was not among the 66 locally-trained Melbourne Cup hopefuls but trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman still have four chances to again win the event.

The Freedman-trained import Point King is ballot exempt for the Melbourne Cup after winning last month’s Archer Stakes.

SA galloper The Map also secured a place in the Melbourne Cup field with her win in the Andrew Ramsden in May.

The winner of Saturday’s Group 3 Bart Cummings will also secure a place in the Melbourne Cup field, leaving the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate as the final two chances to become ballot exempt on the first Tuesday in November.

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The Bart Cummings has attracted 34 entries, headed by the Kris Lees-trained Kalapour, Lindsay Park import Que Tempesta and the 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare.

Ladbrokes has Point King and the Ciaron Maher-trained Saint George as $5 equal favourites in early Bart Cummings betting.

Berkshire Breeze, who is also an acceptor in Saturday’s Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap in Sydney, is a $6 chance ahead of Mostly Cloudy at $9.

Originally published as Aidan O’Brien accepts for Melbourne Cup with unbeaten English St Leger winner Jan Brueghel