Australasia’s established stars, high-profile internationals and the next generation of weight-for-age stars headline this year’s Sportingbet Cox Plate nominations, which closed at noon on Tuesday. It’s A Dundeel, Super Cool and Atlantic Jewel are among a star set of locals targeting the $3 million Group 1 event, which will be run at Moonee Valley on Saturday, 26 October.

Among their potential rivals are 12 middle-distance gallopers trained north of the equator, including four who have been issued official invitations by the Moonee Valley Racing Club.

The Andrew Balding-trained Side Glance, Jonathan Pease’s Maxios and the Alain de Royer Dupre-prepared Mandour, who is raced by the Aga Khan’s daughter Princess Zara, are the original invitees who have declared an interest in heading to Melbourne for the 2040-metre event.

The MVRC has today announced that it is extending an invitation to the UK entrant Mull Of Killough who is trained by ex-pat Australian Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien is a chance to return to Melbourne after nominating young talent Mars, accompanied by the Willie Mullins-trained Simenon as Ireland’s entries.

Main Sequence (David Lanigan), Chil The Kite (Hugh Morrison), Guest of Honour (Marco Botti) and Forgotten Voice (Nicky Henderson) are other possible UK runners with Trevieres (Carlos Laffan-Parais) and Hammerfest (John Hammond) joining Maxios and Mandour as France’s entries.

The presence of any or several of those entries would ensure one of the most intriguing editions of the Sportingbet Cox Plate in years.

Kiwi star It’s A Dundeel (Murray Baker), who completed this year’s Sydney 3YO Triple Crown, and Mark Kavanagh’s Australian Cup winner Super Cool are among the batch of last season’s all-conquering three-year-olds among the entries.

Doncaster Mile winner Sacred Falls and his Queensland Derby-winning Chris Waller stablemate Hawkspur, Oaks winners Dear Demi (Clarry Conners) and Royal Descent (Waller), Thousand Guineas winner Commanding Jewel (Leon Corstens), Australian Guineas victor Ferlax (Jim Conlan) and the Bart and James Cummings-trained Norzita are among the other new-season four-year-olds nominated.

Super Cool’s stablemate, the unbeaten Atlantic Jewel, who was favourite for last year’s Cox Plate at the release of nominations before succumbing to injury, heads the list of older entries.

The Jim Conlan-conditioned Rekindled Interest, third placegetter from two years ago, Shoot Out (Waller) and Roger James’ Silent Achiever  are among some of the others entered, along with last year’s Melbourne Cup hero Green Moon, who finished seventh in last year’s Cox Plate.

Green Moon is one of 12 entries for Lloyd Williams’ private trainer Robert Hickmott, who counts Sea Moon, Hartani, Masked Marvel, Massiyn, Nevis and Thought Worthy – imported gallopers yet to have a start in Australia – among his entries.

A host of gallopers who started their careers overseas but now race in Australia feature in the nominations, including Doomben Cup winner Beaten Up (Waller), Gai Waterhouse-trained trio Fiorente, Carlton House and Glencadam Gold, Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance de Lune (Darren Weir) and the David Hayes-trained Jet Away.

Their biggest competition may come from the impressive set of this season’s three-year-olds. Thirty-two of the 158 entries – or just over 20 percent – are youngsters who celebrated their third birthday on 1 August.

Among them are dual Group 1-winning filly Guelph, her Peter Snowden-trained stablemate Sidestep, nominal Victoria Derby favourite Drago, unbeaten local Prince Harada and highly-rated Kiwi colt Cauthen.

Those who missed the nomination deadline have until noon next Tuesday to pay the first late entry fee. The only other late entry option is the week of the race, when $55,000 is required to secure a start.

First acceptances will be taken at noon on Tuesday, 10 September.