KEY POINTS:
On the Australian home front, Yeats worked brilliantly yesterday and Damien Oliver declared Pop Rock ready for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.
Across the world, Frankie Dettori sweated in Kentucky, and promised he'd lay off the fried chicken.
All around Melbourne, other finishing touches were applied to cup hopes - with the exception of Our Smoking Joe, who has an infection and has been ruled out of the race.
At Sandown, Yeats had his final serious gallop with the Japanese pair Pop Rock and Delta Blues and English contender Geordieland.
And as each of them pulled up, connections made a series of international calls to pass on the good news.
Jockey Kieren Fallon reported to trainer Aidan O'Brien, who is in America for the Breeders' Cup, that Yeats had completed his Cup work in outstanding style.
"You saw him work, he looks all right," Fallon said later. "We've done all we can do with him, I'd say we've done it OK."
Yeats worked over 1400m, quickening from the 600m and finishing off with 200m in 11.2 seconds.
Oliver had his last feel of Japanese runner Pop Rock in a gallop with stablemate Delta Blues.
Pop Rock had the better of Delta Blues leaving Oliver feeling he had improved since finishing seventh in the Caulfield Cup.
"He beat the other horse quite easily today, and he couldn't do it like that before the Caulfield Cup," Oliver said. "I'd have to say he's at least held his form, maybe a bit better."
Pop Rock and Delta Blues set off from the 1600m with Oliver giving his rival a one length start from the 500m. He collared his workmate at the 300m and went to the line under a strong hold in 23.5sec while Delta Blues worked hard under strong riding.
Japanese trainer Katsuhiko Sumii said his report had been positive enough to ensure owner Katsumi Yoshida would be at Flemington.
Geordieland's trainer Jamie Osborne was also able to pass on good news to Dettori who is also in Kentucky for the Breeders' Cup meeting.
More importantly, he received good news from his jockey who has to ride Geordieland at 54kg, a weight he hasn't attempted all year.
But Osborne said he'd received an "absolute assurance" that Dettori would make the weight.
"He just told me he's virtually at the weight now and that he'll fly it in," Osborne said.
Geordieland cantered and pulled up in perfect shape.
- AAP
