With the annual international raid on the Spring Racing Carnival set to begin on Saturday, it’s time to take stock of who is and who isn’t actually coming.
Among those definitely coming are Japanese Cups hopefuls Admire Rakti and Bande.
The duo – who will both be aimed at the Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup and Emirates Melbourne Cup - will be among the first four horses to arrive in Australia on Saturday alongside travelling stable mates Admire Inazuma and Raizan, who are expected to contest support races over the Spring.
The following Saturday September 27, the first of the two annual European shipments touches down in Melbourne delivering 19 horses headed by two-time Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux.
Others locked in to arrive on AFL Grand Final Day include the German pair ofProtectionist and Nuntius for trainer Andreas Wohler and a quartet of Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock-owned gallopers led by defending Caulfield Cup runner-upDandino.
Global powerhouse Godolphin will be back to try and finally break their Melbourne Cup drought with 2012 contestant Cavalryman and stable mate Willing Foe confirmed to arrive among the second shipment of horses from the UK on Saturday October 11.
Leading Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien will also be back for the first time in six years withSportingbet Cox Plate hopeful Adelaide locked in alongside stable mate and Cups hopeful Kingfisher.
Completing the list of those locked in to come to Melbourne are star Irish sprinter Slade Power and 2012 Geelong Cup winner Gatewood.
Among those yet to be confirmed is the Dermot Weld-trained mare Pale Mimosa, with the two-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer expected to make a decision over the weekend.
A decision on whether Cox Plate hopeful Smoking Sun makes the journey could be confirmed as early as Saturday morning depending on the horse’s performance overnight in France.
One horse sweating on both the Pale Mimosa and Smoking Sun decisions is the Andre Fabre-trained Au Revoir.
Entered in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, the five-year-old needs one of the two to pull out to ensure a position on the flight.