Saturday's $3 million Cox Plate shapes as being one of the most celebrated weight-for-age races in the world this calendar year.

According to Racing Victoria's senior handicapper, Greg Carpenter, the quality, talent and ratings of the three favourites – Winx, Hartnell and Vadamos – haven't been assembled in a Cox Plate for decades, if ever.

"The ratings that we go by on an international basis, point to the Cox Plate being one of the key races on the world stage this year. We have Winx, Hartnell and Vadamos. Winx is rated No.4 in the world with a rating of 127 and then you've got Hartnell in 10th position with a rating of 123 and then Vadamos in 20th with 121.

"It will be another measure of the greatness of Winx to go up against world-class racehorses such as Hartnell and Vadamos."

Winx, whose devastating form has made her one of the best race mares in the world, is striving for back-to-back Cox Plates following her crushing win last year.

"It's a rarity to get so much highly-rated talent in the one race which is going to be a tactical event and it will be a tough, hard 2000 metres that will be ahead of them," Carpenter said.

"But what will emerge will be a great horse who can sustain so much pressure and still win."

Bookmakers believe Winx will be superior to Hartnell and the import Vadamos. Speaking from Hong Kong on Sunday morning, the world's leading jockey, Joao Moreira, said he was excited to be flying into Australia to ride Vadamos, a horse who could take the Cox Plate back to France.

Moreira said that he'd watched the spring carnival over many years and had always dreamed of winning one of the greatest weight-for-age races on the world calendar.

It's unclear whether Winx will be at Moonee Valley on Tuesday for her final gallop before the race.

Leading jockey Craig Williams, who was suspended on Saturday at Caulfield for 12 meetings, is expected to lodge an appeal against that suspension this week.

Williams was to ride Hauraki, a $17 chance in the race, but if he fails to have the penalty reduced or overturned Dwayne Dunn will take the mount. With Blake Shinn also suspended after his winning treble on Saturday at Caulfield, Hong Kong-based jockey Sam Clipperton will fly in to take the ride on English in the group 1 Manikato Stakes on Friday night.

Clipperton has enjoyed group 1 success on English winning the All Age Stakes at Randwick this year.

The Gai Waterhouse-prepared mare is a $7 third favourite behind Chautauqua at $2.20 with Capitalist at $5.50.

And Carpenter will announce the penalty for Melbourne Cup second favourite Jameka following her win in Saturday's Caulfield Cup. The heaviest weight ever carried by a four-year-old mare in a Melbourne Cup was Light Fingers who won Australia's most important handicap with 52.5 kilograms.

But Jameka is expected to have to carry more than the 52.5kg as she already has 52kg allotted to her for the $6 million race.

In recent times the two mares that have won back-to-back Caulfield Cups, Ethereal and Let's Elope, all carried under 52kg when successful in the second leg of that double. However, the softness of Jameka's win may also tell against the one-time VRC Oaks winner as she drew away to win by three lengths giving a significant pointer to the mare handling the arduous 3200 metres.

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