AIDAN O’Brien has withdrawn Declarationofpeace and Murillo from the Longholes Palace House Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

There is now no Irish interest in the Group sprint, but Murillo will instead take up his engagement in the Qipco 2000 Guineas on the same card.

Nine horses were declared for the Palace House headed by the only three-year-old, Karl Burke’s Havana Grey, who won the Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last summer.

Robert Cowell has left in both Encore D’Or and Jumira Bridge, while David Griffiths runs Ornate.

It will be Ornate’s first run since being bought out of Cowell’s stable for 110,000 guineas at the Tattersalls Autumn Sales.

Alpha Delphini, Judicial, Mirza, Equimou and Mabs Cross make up the final field of nine.

Defoe has just four rivals as he bids to follow up his John Porter Stakes victory two weeks ago in the Dunaden Jockey Club Stakes.

The Roger Varian-trained four-year-old was supplemented for this Group Two contest as a cost of £6,000 at Monday’s five-day confirmation stage.

Opposition includes Count Octave, who finished ahead of Defoe when sixth in the St Leger. Andrew Balding’s charge is fit from a narrow success at Wolverhampton last month.

The quintet is completed by Clive Cox’s Khalidi, David Elsworth’s Master The World and Red Verdon from Ed Dunlop’s stable.