A third of the final field of 24 for the $8 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday are internationally trained and have been based at the International Horse Centre at Werribee for the duration of their stay.
With the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the world, only one flight was made available for international competitors this year with 29 horses arriving in Melbourne early in October.
While some of those arrivals were dispersed to local stables, including Sir Dragonet who won the Group 1 Cox Plate and lines up in Tuesday's race, a number have remained at Werribee.
It hasn't been all plain sailing with some tragic consequences for a couple of horses, but the eight that remain in Cup contention have completed their build-up for Tuesday's assignment.
DASHING WILLOUGHBY winning the Coral Henry II Stakes at Sandown Park in Esher, England. Photo by Photo by Mark Cranham/Pool via Getty Images
Then there is another Irish representative, Stratum Albion for Willie Mullins, while Dashing Willoughby and Prince Of Arran the UK for Andrew Balding and Charlie Fellowes respectively.
The final international runner is Adreas Wohler's Ashrun.
The German-based Wohler won the Cup in 2014 with Protectionist and Ashrun only made the field courtesy of his last stride win in the Group 3 Hotham Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday.
It is not common for Wohler to back his horses up so quickly, but he was determined to have a runner in the race having spent two weeks in quarantine in Sydney before heading to Melbourne.
"I'm surprised the way he is," Wohler said on Sunday morning.
"Normally you don't do that but we didn't have any other choice but to run him yesterday.
"Lucky, he went really well."
While Wohler said the preparation was not ideal, it has been different for the Aidan O'Brien horses under the watchful eye on T J Comerford.
Comerford is loath to separate the pair who sit atop the betting with TAB.
Anthony Van Dyck ($8) shades Tiger Moth ($8.50) while Sir Dragonet and Surprise Baby are on the next line at $9.
"To have one runner is great, to have two in it is better again," Comerford said.
"Anthony Van Dyck is a class horse but he has to give a lot of weight away to Tiger Moth, but then Tiger Moth is drawn 23 so he'll have to be able to negotiate from out there.
"We probably don't know enough about the three-year-old (Tiger Moth), but I do know that he's going well enough. He's doing everything right and he's enjoying himself, he's fresh and he's well and he's fit.
"I just think they're two good chances. I wouldn't have one over the other even if you give me a free bet there I might struggle."
Joseph O'Brien's pair are back for a second shot at the race.
Master Of Reality was second across the line last year before being relegated to fourth, while Twilight Payment finished 11th.
Mark Power has been in charge during their stay in Melbourne and was happy with the barrier draws expecting the pair to roll forward.
However he predicts the Aidan O'Brien horses will be tough to stop.
"You'd have to think that Anthony Van Dyck would have a great chance," Power said.
"He's the class horse in the race even though it is a race with plenty of depth in it.
"Tiger Moth being a northern hemisphere three-year-old, they're two of them to fear."
Dave Casey, travelling foreman for Mullins, has followed a similar routine with Stratum Albion as in previous visits with Max Dynamite.
Max Dynamite ran second to Prince Of Penzance in 2015 and third to Rekindling two years later.
"I think in the last week he's come on plenty," Casey said.
"Barrier nine is good, gives us options and there's a couple of fancied horses around him, so that'll give us options to go forward or go back.
"He's a horse that can get quite stuffy and takes a lot of work but he's enjoying it out there."
After placings from difficult barriers in the past two Cups, Aled Beech, representing Prince Of Arran's trainer Charlie Fellowes, said barrier one was ideal.
"It just gives Jamie (Kah) more options and makes her life easier," Beech said.
"He's feeling great in himself. What he feels like at home, he feels even better here.
"He just thrives. He loves the climate, the style of racing. It suits him down to the ground."
Michael Walker, who partners Dashing Willoughby, an $81 chance in latest TAB betting, says he is astounded at the improvement the stayer has made in the past week.
Dashing Willoughby finished last in the Caulfield Cup, but Walker has been out to Werribee twice in recent days and likes what he has been riding.
"I think he's improved body wise, physically, since the first time I sat on him before the Caulfield Cup. His action was brilliant this morning," Walker said on Sunday.
"I think he'll run his true race on Tuesday.
"I've won a lot of Group 1's on outsiders, hopefully I can again."
