The quarantine stations at Sandown have been a hive of activity with two batches of international visitors flying in from the Northern Hemisphere with a total of nine raiders.

They have already proved worthy challengers with All The Good winning the Caulfield Cup and Mad Rush an equally impressive fourth. His stablemate, Bauer, took out last week's Geelong Cup.

The Cox Plate was run at Moonee Valley on the weekend and this week the attention turns to Flemington.

Racing purists regard this Saturday as the best day of racing on the Australasian calendar and one of the major international days.

The program features four group 1s, two group 2s and four group 3 races.

The main event is the group 1 $1.51 million Victoria Derby.

The Age Caulfield Guineas winner, Whobegotyou, is certainly the one to beat.

Last spring was a nightmare for trainer Mark Kavanagh when Maldivian was involved in the freak barrier accident prior to the Caulfield Cup, but a year down the track he has bounced back with Whobegotyou.

Pre Eminence impressed winning the Norman Robinson Stakes at Caulfield on October 18, and Larry's Never Late and Paddy O'Reilly looked good.

Saturday also features the group 1 weight-for-age $752,500 Ellerston Capital Mackinnon Stakes, which will see many having their final start before the Melbourne Cup. The best sprinters will be in action in the group 2 Seppelt Salinger Stakes.

The Spring Racing Carnival concludes on November 15 with the group 2 $351,000 Sandown Classic (2400m) on Sandown's Hillside track.