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The 2019 Melbourne Cup received a big push in London in the lead-up to the Royal Ascot Carnival but Australia's most famous race is not so hard to sell these days.
With prizemoney of $8 million, along with its reputation as one of the world's elite staying races, Europe's racing royalty are already well aware of its charms with many making plans for the first Tuesday in November.
On the eve of Britain's famous Royal Carnival at Ascot, one of the country's most famous trainers, John Gosden, best summed up the experience of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
"It's such a great event to be part of," he said.
Gosden takes centre stage later in the week when his amazing stayer Stradivarius runs as the short-priced favourite in the Ascot Gold Cup. Gosden said he was watching the skies closely.
"We don't want it to rain because he loves to bounce off the ground," Gosden said. "He has a great weapon as a two-and-a-half miler as he has a phenomenal turn of foot but if it gets too soft, it blunts his turn of foot and that leaves him vulnerable."
It seems unlikely that a horse of Stradivarius' quality would ever venture to Australia for a handicap race but Gosden said it hadn't been ruled out.