The number of horses heading towards the $750,000 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 5 has been cut from 165 nominations to 56 with the 2011 Australian Guineas first acceptances released today.

Enjin Number Nine is the current favourite in the 2011 Australian Guineas odds at Luxbet after the three-year-old claimed an upset win in the Listed Manfred Stakes (1300m) at Sandown on February 9.

Manfred Stakes’ runner-up Bullbars has also been accepted at first declaration stage for the Australian Guineas, one of five entries for Peter Snowden.

Snowden also has Victoria Derby third placegetter Retrieve, Commands colt Skilled who ran a first up third in the Group 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) at Randwick last weekend, Domesday filly Divorces and last Saturday’s Light Fingers Stakes third placegetter Parables on way to the Guineas this year.

Other top picks in the pre-post Australian Guineas betting markets that are among the 56 first acceptors include Anacheeva, Nevill Parnham’s Blackfriars colt Playing God a winner of their past four starts at Ascot and last start winner of the Group 2 D’Urban Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield Dusty Star.

Last year’s Caulfield Guineas winner Anacheeva is one of seven horses vying for a spot in the Australian Guineas field for leading Victorian trainer Peter Moody.

The other big names in Moody’s contingent are Eclair Surprise, Servant, Do Ra Mi and Miss Gai Flyer.

Flying Spur filly Miss Gai Flyer charged into Australian Guineas contention with her impressive 2 ½ length win in the Listed Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last weekend.

The most notable Australian Guineas defector not paid up for at first declaration stage today is Star Witness.

Among the other noteworthy 2011 Australian Guineas acceptors today are:

• Pressday (Chris Waller) – Group 1 winner of the T.J. Smith during last year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival, resumed with an eighth place finish behind Master Harry in the Group 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 12.

• Eclair Mystic (Robert Smerdon) – Stratum gelding who won the Listed Zeditave Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on January 26 and most recently ran third to Dusty Star in the Group 2 D’Urban Stakes (1400m) last Saturday carrying a heft 57kg, would advantage with the drop back to 55.5kg under the set weight conditions of the Australian Guineas.

• Masquerader (David Payne) – Improving Lucky Owners colt, Group 1 placed when third in the Caulfield Guineas last year and ran sixth first-up in the Royal Sovereign.

• Mr Chard (Dean Lawson) – Flemington-trained Al Samer colt won at Group level on Derby Day last year, failed last start when first-up in the Manfred Stakes with 59kg on their back but tipped to improve with less weight.

• We Can Say It Now (Murray & Bjorn Baker) – Kiwi galloper by Starcraft, Group 1 winner in New Zealand as yet unraced in Australia.

Bart Cummings, trainer of 2010 Australian Guineas winner Rock Classic, has a small representation with just two runners entered for this year’s Guineas.

Cummings has entered his Shamardal colts Artistic and Goldstone in the 2011 Australian Guineas as the Cups King seeks back-to-back wins.

The 2011 Australian Guineas final field of acceptors will be released on Wednesday March 2 and published here at Races.com.au along with the barrier draw, form guide and betting analysis.

Betting has been briefly suspended on the Australian Guineas as odds are updated.

To ensure you get the best Australian Guineas odds when markets reopen, sign up with premier online bookmaker Luxbet now!

2011 Australian Guineas First Declarations & Weights

#	Horse	Trainer	Weight (kg)
1	ABSOLUTELYAWESOME (NZ)	Michael Moroney	55.5
2	ALBERTIQUE	Shane Nichols	55.5
3	AMERICAN CREW	Chris Waller	55.5
4	ANACHEEVA	Peter G Moody	55.5
5	ARTISTIC	Bart Cummings	55.5
6	BLACKIE (NZ)	Michael Kent	55.5
7	BULLBARS	Peter Snowden	55.5
8	COSMIC CAUSEWAY	Peter G Moody	55.5
9	DOMINANT FUTURE (NZ)	Mick Price	55.5
10	DUSTY STAR	Peter Morgan	55.5
11	ECLAIR MYSTIC	Robert Smerdon	55.5
12	ECLAIR SURPRISE	Peter G Moody	55.5
13	ELUSIVE KING	Peter G Moody	55.5
14	ENJIN NUMBER NINE (NZ)	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	55.5
15	GILDED SPUR	Anthony Cummings	55.5
16	GOD HELP US	Shane Nichols	55.5
17	GOLDSTONE	Bart Cummings	55.5
18	HOLLOWLEA	Terry & Karina O’Sullivan	55.5
19	INADEQUATE	John P Thompson	55.5
20	KERCHINGS	Anthony Cummings	55.5
21	LIVEANDLETDIE	Mark Kavanagh	55.5
22	MASQUERADER	David Payne	55.5
23	MEAISIN (NZ)	Danny O’Brien	55.5
24	MEEZAAH	David Hayes	55.5
25	MR CHARD	Dean Lawson	55.5
26	ORATORIUM	Danny O’Brien	55.5
27	PLAYING GOD	Neville Parnham	55.5
28	PRESSDAY	Chris Waller	55.5
29	RETRIEVE	Peter Snowden	55.5
30	RIGHT OF REFUSAL	Nigel Blackiston	55.5
31	ROADTRAIN	Tony Vasil	55.5
32	RUN FOR LEVI	John P Thompson	55.5
33	SEA LORD	David Payne	55.5
34	SERVANT	Peter G Moody	55.5
35	SIR FOX	Anthony Cummings	55.5
36	SKILLED	Peter Snowden	55.5
37	SMOKIN’ JOEY	Lee Freedman	55.5
38	SPEEDINESS	Colin Scott	55.5
39	SPIRITED EAGLE	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	55.5
40	STARTSMEUP	Bruce W Hill	55.5
41	THE RUFFIAN	Lee Freedman	55.5
42	TOO DEADLY	Mark Kavanagh	55.5
43	UTAH SAINTS	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	55.5
44	VALEDICTORIAN	David Hayes	55.5
45	ABSOLUTELY	Michael Kent	53.5
46	BOOKLET	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	53.5
47	BRIDE SALAMA	Anthony Cummings	53.5
48	DIVORCES	Peter Snowden	53.5
49	DO RA MI (NZ)	Peter G Moody	53.5
50	MISS GAI FLYER	Peter G Moody	53.5
51	PARABLES	Peter Snowden	53.5
52	SECOND DRAW	John P Thompson	53.5
53	SHAMROCKER (NZ)	Danny O’Brien	53.5
54	SOUTHERN SPEED	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	53.5
55	TEARDROP ROCK	Gai Waterhouse	53.5
56	WE CAN SAY IT NOW	Murray & Bjorn Baker	53.5

Photo courtesy (c) Taron Clarke Photography