Only 22 horses remain in contention for the $1 million Newmarket Handicap but the world's three highest ranked sprinters are among them.

First acceptances were taken on Tuesday for the Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup, to be run at Flemington on March 14, and the Australian Guineas run a week earlier.

Newmarket entries are headlined by Lankan Rupee who returned to racing in brilliant fashion at Flemington on Saturday with victory in the Group One Lightning Stakes.

Terravista, who won the Darley Classic in the spring and finished 2014 at the top of the world sprint rankings alongside Lankan Rupee, is also among the entries.

The horse who split that pair in the Darley Classic, Chautauqua, holds a Newmarket nomination after returning with a first-up win in the Rubiton Stakes.

However, his Hawkes Racing stablemate Deep Field is a notable absentee from the list following his Lightning Stakes defeat.

There are 37 first acceptances for the Australian Cup including Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist who makes his return in Saturday's Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield.

English stayer Red Cadeaux, the three-time Melbourne Cup runner-up, is in quarantine at Werribee preparing to run first-up in the weight-for-age race at Flemington before heading to Sydney for The Championships.

Godolphin's Java and the Chris Waller-trained Kermadec are among 29 horses still in the mix for the Australian Guineas.