Aidan O'Brien has lost one of his WS Cox Plate contenders with Magic Wand withdrawn from the $5 million race.
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Magic Wand's defection because of lameness leaves Armory as O'Brien's representative in the weight-for-age championship at Moonee Valley.
A Group One winner during last year's Melbourne spring carnival, Magic Wand has succumbed to a foot abscess.
Her scratching paves the way for original controversial omission Buckhurst to gain a start on Saturday after he was named as an emergency.
Armory had also been under a fitness cloud before passing a veterinary test at the International Horse Centre at Werribee on Friday morning.
The stallion was trotted up in front of a panel of three vets and declared right to race after showing signs of minor lameness 24 hours earlier.
O'Brien is chasing his second Cox Plate win and Armory and is ranked below only Russian Camelot in latest betting.
Armory goes into the Cox Plate as the winner of four races from 11 outings as well as a last-start minor placegetter in a high-class Group One contest in Ireland.
Buckhurst will be one of the outsiders for O'Brien's son Joseph after finishing unplaced in last week's Caulfield Cup at his first Australian start.
Australian Associated Press
