The Mark Kavanagh stable's hopes of having two Winter Championship runners at Flemington have soared with more than half of the 47 qualified horses dropping out of the feature.Outlandish Lad was equal 29th in qualifying with just two points but is now 18th in the order for Saturday's 16-horse field after nominations for the 1600m final closed on Monday.Stablemate Dr Doute's is already assured of a start in the top eight qualifiers.Kavanagh won the Winter Championship with Sea Battle two years ag

The Mark Kavanagh stable's hopes of having two Winter Championship runners at Flemington have soared with more than half of the 47 qualified horses dropping out of the feature.

Outlandish Lad was equal 29th in qualifying with just two points but is now 18th in the order for Saturday's 16-horse field after nominations for the 1600m final closed on Monday.

Stablemate Dr Doute's is already assured of a start in the top eight qualifiers.

Kavanagh won the Winter Championship with Sea Battle two years ago and the race has been on Outlandish Lad's program all campaign.

Kavanagh's son Levi said he was hopeful Outlandish Lad would make the field and was expecting him to improve on his last start eighth to Doubtful Jack in the last heat of the series over 1400 metres at Flemington on June 26.

"He has been a consistent horse and doesn't run many bad races but last start the heavy 10 track might not have suited him," Kavanagh said.

"He is also going to be better at 1600 metres."

Outlandish Lad has won six of his 18 starts and scored consecutive wins at Morphettville leading up to his Flemington failure.

He also won the greys race at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.

Dr Doute's finished seventh, just in front of Outlandish Lad in the Winter Championship heat at Flemington and was also third to top qualifier and dual heat winner Jungle Ruler at Flemington on June 12.

Kavanagh said Dr Doute's was capable of winning the Winter Championship but training him had got tricky as he had got older.

As a three-year-old he won the Carbine Club Stakes over the 1600 metre course at Flemington but since has been a frustrating horse for connections

"He is a work in progress," Kavanagh said.

"He is a stallion and as he has got older he has started to think a lot more."

He said he had settled much better lately but last start struggled to get going on the bog track.

A total of 19 qualified horses, including Pinnacles, Offenders, Philda, Trustus, and Dr Nipandtuck, have been nominated for the Winter Championship final and another five unqualified horses make up the entry.

Gun wet trackers Ghostmilk and Riceman along with Rollins, Savquaw and The Invincible One did not contest heats of the series.

Outstanding jumper Black And Bent, who was narrowly beaten at Moonee Valley on Saturday, is set to line up on the flat again in the final of the Banjo Patterson Series over 2500 metres with his conqueror Niptious also among the entries.