So the Victoria Racing Club, in charge of the Melbourne Cup, begins its carnival with the Victoria Derby on a 10-race card. The Cup is run on Tuesday, the Crown Oaks on Thursday and then Emirates Classic day next Saturday. None of these days can match what is on offer at Flemington today.

And there isn't a race on the card Cummings hasn't won. The great man has Melbourne Cup hope Viewed running in the Mackinnon Stakes, with his Australian Cup winner Sirmione aiming to win the race in consecutive years. In the Saab Quality, Cummings hopes Moatize and Book Of Kells can seal a place in Tuesday's nation-stopper.

"Big crowd derby day, the money is good, betting is big," Cummings quipped. "It has been made more profitable, too - boys drinking, fashions on the field, boys chasing girls, all that stuff, it is definitely one of the best day's racing in the world."

Hayes also looks at the entire picture, saying: "As a whole package, of racing, corporate entertainment, international flavour, it is the best. We might be looking at next year's Golden Slipper winner, a Miss Finland in the Maribyrnong Plate; next Tuesday's Melbourne Cup winner. You could be looking at next year's Cup winner via the derby, a young Efficient. You could be looking at the best mare in Australia.

"Basically, it is a day that is happening now but it has so much bearing on the future. The one minus is the Salinger used to be a group 1, now it is a group 2, but you could be looking at next year's Newmarket winner.

"Everyone is catered for, people out for a fun day, boys looking for girls, the very serious owners are catered for, of course the corporates do fantastic entertainment and a lot of schoolkids like coming along."

Messara, who bred and raced Miss Finland, with Hayes doing the training, explained the major racing days round the globe have "different cultures, different personalities" but Victoria Derby day is something again.

"In terms of importance for the industry, the gravitas of the meeting, it is amongst the most attractive and important in the world," Messara said.

"The people and horses that attend are significant, you have the international visitors, all the major players from this country will be there and, of course, you have the horses.

"There are just so many great races on the day, and the attendance will be huge. You get enormous media interest, not just the racing media but general as well."

Crispe agrees. The day caters to all sections of the racing crop. From the derby to sprints, fillies, colts, the mares then there is the excitement of stayers trying to make the Cup through the Saab or those rounding out preparations for the great race in the Mackinnon.

"These days give racing a chance to show the sport," Crispe said. "The casual racegoer, those that don't come along very often, racing gets the chance to show them what it has to offer."

Maybe Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien, who has three runners in the Cup - including favourite Septimus - summed it up best. The man who has won 22 group 1 events in different countries this year, wasn't talking specifically about derby day at Flemington, but his comments were worth noting.

"I don't think in any country, anywhere in the world, you would get this kind of interest in horse racing," O'Brien said on Tuesday after inspecting Septimus and stablemates Honolulu and Alessandro Volta. "That is why horse racing is so special in Australia."