The Golden Slipper build-up is gaining momentum with the Australian Turf Club receiving 196 entries at the second acceptance stage.

Among them are the Gai Waterhouse-trained Breeders Plate winner Whittington and unbeaten Victorian filly Villa Verde trained by Shaun Dwyer.

Waterhouse, who won her fourth Slipper with Pierro last year, and Darley's Peter Snowden have the highest volume of entries among the trainers.

Stallions More Than Ready and Fastnet Rock head the nominations by sire with 16 apiece.

"It's a grand slam event for trainers and jockeys, a potential life-changer for owners and breeders and a puzzle of fast moving parts for racegoers and punters right up until the last qualifying races the week before," said the Australian Turf Club's Matt Rudolph in a statement.

"The question we all love to ask at this time of the year is, `have we seen the Slipper winner yet?'"

The race to make the Slipper field ramps up in Sydney in the coming weeks with a host of lead-up events, several carrying ballot exemptions from the world's richest two-year-old race.

The Golden Slipper (1200m) is at Rosehill on April 6.