Second favourite Egg Tart is an important scratching from Saturday's $1 million Group I Epsom Handicap at Randwick (1600m).
The Chris Waller-trained mare has been suffering from an eye infection since her fast-finishing second behind the record breaker Deploy in the Group II Theo Marks Stakes.
Waller's stable vet ruled Egg Tart out of the race on Friday morning. She was a $6 chance.
Egg Tart's scratching leaves a disappointing field of just 11 to contest one of Australia's time-honoured races with He's Our Rokki and Embley already scratched although that number will drop even further when I Am A Star is official taken out with that mare down to run in the Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Happy Clapper was the $3 favourite for the Epsom Handicap prior to Egg Tart's scratching and will firm into an even more dominant bookies' elect.