Plane full of International arrivals touch down in Melbourne

THE house full sign will be posted at the Werribee training facility today as the next wave of international spring carnival contenders arrive in Melbourne.

Victorian officials are on standby as another wave of international horses touch down in Melbourne today.

THE house full sign will be posted at the Werribee training facility today as the next wave of international spring carnival contenders arrive in Melbourne.

There are 12 of the world's best racehorses touching down at Tullamarine Airport to join the eight overseas gallopers already here for the Melbourne spring carnival.

Werribee racecourse, which is for the exclusive use of the foreign raiders during the spring carnival, has never had so much equine talent here at the one time.

Trackwork sessions at the quaint racetrack in Melbourne's outer western suburbs will soon seem as busy as famous Flemington on a fast morning.

Among today's plane-load of Melbourne Cup hopefuls is French super stayer Dunaden, winner of the 2011 Melbourne Cup and last year's Caulfield Cup, England's resolute Red Cadeaux who was narrowly beaten when second to Dunaden in the tightest Cup finish ever two years ago, and Mount Athos, a luckless fifth in last year's Cup.

Then there is Vereema, the French mare who scored impressively in the Prix De Kergolay, the same race Americain came through before his 2010 Melbourne Cup triumph. Vereema is owned by the Aga Khan, one of the world's most influential and successful racehorse owner-breeders and she is his first runner down under.

Paul Francis talks with Lucia Botti, the wife of trainer Marco, after riding Dandino.

Also arriving today is Brown Panther, England's form stayer of the summer who is raced by English soccer legend Michael Owen, Voleuse De Couers romped home with the Irish St Leger last start, and boom French horse Tres Blue, who is joining the Gai Waterhouse stable.

In the next 24 hours, Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin team, using their private equine transport plane, arrive with the in-form Royal Empire.

With Caulfield Cup runners Dandino and Forgotten Voice, and the tough Irish stayer Simenon, there is likely to be at least a record 10-overseas trained stayers in the $6 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington, on November 5 - and they are not here to make up the numbers, according Racing Victoria's Leigh Jordon.

"The calibre of horses we have in Melbourne this spring is the best we have ever seen,'' Jordon declared.

"The Melbourne Cup is becoming a global phenomenon. The quality of stayers from overseas continues to improve each spring and the group we have this year include some of the world's elite racehorses.

"There will be at least six-to-eight internationals in the Melbourne Cup and it could be the best field we have ever seen.''

Victorian officials are on standby as another wave of international horses touch down in Melbourne today.

Jordon said Werribee isn't just housing Melbourne Cup hopefuls and for the first time, there is a cross section of international challengers for feature races across a range of distances.

Hong Kong champion sprinter Lucky Nine is preparing for the Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night, and English duo Mull Of Killough and Side Glance are here for the Cox Plate (2040m) next Saturday, and Havana Gold, the crack European miler is here for the Emirates Stakes.

"Owners and trainers from overseas are recognising how good the prizemoney is Australia and not just for the Melbourne Cup,'' Jordon said.

"Lucky Nine is currently rated the bet sprinter in the world, we have two Cox Plate horses from overseas which we have never had before, Havana Gold for the Emirates, probably two runners at least in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, there's a great cross-section of quality horses here for the carnival."

The internationals could plunder some of Australian racing's most prized trophies this spring starting with the $2.5 million Caulfield Cup today where Dandino and first emergency Forgotten Voice are flying the northern hemisphere flag.

Champion jockey Craig Williams won the Caulfield Cup last year on Dunaden and he is riding Dandino for English-based trainer Marco Botti today.

International sprinting star Lucky Nine has already touched down in Australia.

"Dandino's form suggests to me he is the right form horse to come from Europe for our Group 1 handicap races," Williams said.

"I did flinch when draw 19 came up, so it just means he is going to need a lot more luck in the early part of the race.''

Williams said Dandino, who has not raced since his Group 1 American St Leger on August 17, appears to be more versatile than Dunaden, a last-to-first Caulfield Cup winner last year.

"Dandino responds very well to his riders so it gives me more confidence I can do a lot more things with Dandino in regard to tactics than the set plan we had last year with Dunaden," Williams said.

"On paper there looks to be pressure - like every Caulfield Cup - from the first turn but from then on it's how slow they go for the next six furlongs. I know I'm on a top class stayer and if we get the right run, he is very capable of being in the finish.''