Godolphin's travelling foreman Tommy Strang says the international Melbourne Cup raiders are among the strongest he has seen.Global powerhouse Godolphin is trying to win its first Melbourne Cup but Strang says getting into the race will be a task in itself with so many visiting overseas horses.Strang also expects that Saturday's soft track for the Caulfield Cup means most of those horses will be sound and pressing for a Melbourne Cup start.The Cup has been a frustrating race for Godolphin which

Godolphin's travelling foreman Tommy Strang says the international Melbourne Cup raiders are among the strongest he has seen.

Global powerhouse Godolphin is trying to win its first Melbourne Cup but Strang says getting into the race will be a task in itself with so many visiting overseas horses.

Strang also expects that Saturday's soft track for the Caulfield Cup means most of those horses will be sound and pressing for a Melbourne Cup start.

The Cup has been a frustrating race for Godolphin which has posted seconds with Central Park (1999), Give The Slip (2001), and Crime Scene last year while Beekeeper (2002) was third.

"We have finished second three times and it (winning the Melbourne Cup) is a goal for Godolphin," Strang said.

"This is what we have come for. This is what we want."

Strang, who has looked after Godolphin's Melbourne Cup team for the past three years, said the stable's charges Holberg and Campanologist were in good order but other overseas raiders would be hard to beat.

Godolphin also owns the Mark Johnston-trained Eastern Aria.

"I think this year the overseas challenge is pretty strong," Strang said.

He nominated Dermot Weld's Profound Beauty and Luca Cumani's Caulfield Cup runner Manighar as leading rivals.

"Profound Beauty is a very good mare and she will be a strong contender and Luca's (Manighar) ran fifth in the Caulfield Cup and I'm sure he will improve."

Strang said the form out of the Caulfield Cup could be particularly strong.

He said that in the past some Caulfield Cup horses had felt the firm ground but Saturday's soft track would have them better prepared for this year's Melbourne Cup.

"This year a lot of horses that were in the Caulfield Cup will definitely go in the Melbourne Cup because they won't be jarred up," Strang said.

This year Campanologist is a dual German Group One winner over 2400 metres and he comes off a last start third at Newbury over 2200 metres on September 17.

Strang said Campanologist was a better horse "on paper" than Godolphin's All The Good who won the 2008 Caulfield Cup while Holberg was "a decent horse in his own right".

"Two miles will be unknown territory for Campanologist but Holberg has won a two mile race at Ascot as a three-year-old so he is a proven stayer," Strang said.

"He (Holberg) had a few niggling problems but came back and won his last start and that was a prep race for coming here."

He said both horses "travelled great" and had settled in well.

"They are full of life on the track and they couldn't be any happier than they are now," Strang said.

Frankie Dettori is booked to ride Holberg who is 32nd on the Cup order of entry. Camapanologist is fourth and will have the services of Kerrin McEvoy.

On Monday morning both horses had a light session on the track with Eastern Aria at Werribee.

Strang said Campanologist would have two serious gallops before the Melbourne Cup and Holberg one.

"He (Holberg) is a small light horse and doesn't need much work," Strang said.

Campanologist is a boisterous six-year-old stallion but his temperament doesn't concern Strang, even with a crowd of 100,000 on Cup Day.

"That's him," said Strang excusing the stallion's testing behaviour.

"His bark is worse than his bite."