Light Vision grabbed the final spot in Saturday's Caulfield Cup field on a dramatic day when early favourite Speed Gifted and reigning Cox Plate winner Maldivian were withdrawn from the $2.5 million feature.The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) committee had to make a decision on which horse to put into the 18-horse final field out of Baughurst, Newport, Light Vision and Shocking who were equal 18th in the elimination order.The Robert Smerdon-trained six-year-old Light Vision got the nod narrowly over

Light Vision grabbed the final spot in Saturday's Caulfield Cup field on a dramatic day when early favourite Speed Gifted and reigning Cox Plate winner Maldivian were withdrawn from the $2.5 million feature.

The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) committee had to make a decision on which horse to put into the 18-horse final field out of Baughurst, Newport, Light Vision and Shocking who were equal 18th in the elimination order.

The Robert Smerdon-trained six-year-old Light Vision got the nod narrowly over Baughurst, prepared by Bill and Symon Wilde at Warrnambool, who is first emergency.

Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter and MRC racing manager John Faulkner submitted their recommendations to the committee which made the final decision.

MRC chairman Peter Young said the decision was unanimous.

Carpenter said Light Vision and Baughurst had consistently rated around 110 over the past 12 months but on the five occasions they had met, Light Vision had beaten Baughurst.

Maldivian's stablemate Shocking was named as second emergency with 2008 Metropolitan winner Newport third reserve and Miss Darcey fourth emergency.

Six O'Clock News and Hoorang were the two horses of Tuesday's 24 final acceptances to be balloted out of the 2400m event.

Carpenter said the inclusion of European Group One winners Kirklees and Cima De Triomphe added a lot of strength to the race.

"I've got no doubt that in combination this is the strongest European representation in a Caulfield Cup," he said.

He said the presence of reigning Melbourne Cup winner Viewed, the AJC Australian Derby trifecta of Roman Emperor, Harris Tweed and Predatory Pricer, AJC Australian Oaks winner Daffodil and others meant the race was the strongest it had been "in modern years".

Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan, who had been mulling over running Kingston Town Stakes winner Ready To Lift, accepted with the mare after the news that Speed Gifted and Maldivian were non-runners.

The alternative was to run Ready To Lift in Saturday's Group Three David Jones Cup (2000m).

"When some of these others started falling out, I thought `It's a $2 million race, she's fit, she's well, she's got 51.5kg on her back, why not have a crack'," Ryan said.

The MRC committee does have power to use its discretion to include a horse into the field but in recent years hasn't used it.

The committee made a controversial decision to include Taufan's Melody in the 1998 field despite revelations the English stayer was not fully qualified.

Trained by Lady Herries and ridden by Ray Cochrane, Taufan's Melody led all the way to score an upset win at 66-1.

The Danny O'Brien-trained Vigor joined Predatory Pricer, prepared by Paul Murray, at the top of the market for the Caulfield Cup at $7 with TAB Sportsbet ahead of the Luca Cumani-trained Cima De Triomphe at $9.

New Zealand mare Daffodil and Godolphin-owned Kirklees were next best at $11 in an open race.

Impressive AJC Metropolitan (2400m) winner Speed Gifted, who had been $5 favourite on Monday, will miss the race.

Trainer Lee Freedman had warned that the French-owned import's main mission was the $5.65 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3 and he is to go to the $3 million Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday week along the way.

Trainer Mark Kavanagh advised Racing Victoria stewards that Maldivian pulled up suffering from an injury to his near-fore suspensory ligament after trackwork at Flemington on Tuesday morning.

Maldivian will be sidelined for the entire spring.

The Caulfield Cup barrier draw will take place on Wednesday at 11am (AEDT).