Global Weekly Preview: Australia's best raceday..... by a wide margin

There are many great racing occasions around the world. Arc day in France, the Breeders' Cup in America, Royal Ascot in Britain, to name but three. But there is a raceday in Australia that stands proudly beside them all.

Victoria Derby day at Flemington, Melbourne, is truly one of the great meetings globally. Nine races, all carrying Group status, and four of them G1s. Reputations will be carved out of contests that have stood the test of time and that will remain a reference point for as long as the sport exists.

This Saturday, Godolphin hopes centre mainly on the brilliant Astern, who attempts to enhance an already impressive record by winning the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, over 1,200 metres, against the best three-year-old sprinters in the country.

A feature of his recent outing in the G2 Roman Consul at Randwick, Sydney, was recording a sectional time that left experienced clockers questioning the accuracy of their timepieces -- he ran the last 600m (3 furlongs) in an exceptional 32.29secs.

The G1 Victoria Derby was first run in 1855, six years before the first Melbourne Cup. In that inaugural running, the trip was a mile and a half, the traditional distance, and it has remained roughly the same ever since, though one modification was to extend it to 2,500m because of the dangers attached to having a very short run to the first turn.

Godolphin rely on Kent, a Domesday gelding, who came into the Derby picture by finishing well for fifth in the Listed UCI Stakes at Flemington on October 2. He failed to figure in a subsequent effort, but that was in a very slowly-run race.

Despite a call by some for a reduction in the Derby distance, this is the sixth year in a row that the Classic has attracted a full field of 16. It should again be a great race, with a potential staying star unearthed.

Godolphin appear set to have at least four runners in Tuesday's G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup -- and it could stretch to five if Oceanographer wins the G3 Lexus Stakes, which is a distinct possibility considering his fast-finishing third to stablemate Qewy in the G3 Geelong Cup.

Kerrin McEvoy, who knows well the European stayers' style of running, takes the mount and it could result in another win for the Charlie Appleby stable.

John O'Shea will saddle Tally, 12th in the G1 Caulfield Cup recently, to strengthen the Godolphin involvement in this fast-track race to the Cup.