Four Group 1 races, including the Mackinnon Stakes, the last prep for the Melbourne Cup, are part of Saturday’s program at Flemington Racecourse in Australia, the first day of that track’s famous spring carnival.

Improving 4-year-old filly Be Fabulous won her group stakes debut Sunday, capturing the Group 1 Prix Royal Oak by 1 3/4 lengths at Longchamp.

Orfevre became the first horse in six years to sweep the Japanese Triple Crown with an impressive victory in Sunday’s Group 1 Japanese St. Leger, the Kikuka Sho, at Kyoto Racecourse.

Ridden by Kenichi Ikezoe, Orfevre, the 2-5 favorite, rallied from the middle of the 18-horse field to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Win Variation, a 6-1 shot who closed from last. Tosen Ra, the 11-1 third choice, finished third.

Orfevre’s win could lead to a start against older horses in the $6.1 million Japan Cup over 1 1/2 miles at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 27.

Camelot, looking like the next stable star for trainer Aidan O’Brien, sparkled in his stakes debut Saturday at Doncaster in England, where he won the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.

England is all abuzz over changes in whip rules, but no such concerns arose in the Racing Post Trophy. Jockey Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son, had no use for his stick, with Camelot finishing powerfully of his own accord.

On an afternoon when the sensational Black Caviar easily ran her lifetime record to 15 for 15, fellow mare Pinker Pinker stole the biggest headline when running down New Zealand star Jimmy Choux to take Moonee Valley's $3.05 million Group 1 Tattersalls Cox Plate.

A field of 14 came through Friday’s final declaration stage for the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak, France’s premier autumn race for marathoners. The Prix Royal-Oak is carded for 1 15/16 miles and will be contested Sunday at Longchamp over good-to-soft going.

The prospective field includes the 2010 race winner, Gentoo, who has failed to win in five starts since his Royal-Oak win a year ago. Gentoo, a 7-year-old, has finished no better than fifth in his last four races and would need a sharp form reversal to contend.

The British Horseracing Authority on Friday eased strict new rules governing the manner in which jockeys wield their whip.

Orfevre can become the first horse in six years to sweep Japan’s Triple Crown when he starts in Sunday’s Group 1 Japanese St. Leger, the Kikuka Sho, at Kyoto, Racecourse.

The winner of the Japanese 2000 Guineas in April and the Japanese Derby in May, Orfevre warmed up for Sunday’s race over about 1 7/8 miles on turf by winning the Group 2 Kobe Shimbun Hai Stakes over 1 1/2 miles at Hanshin Racecourse last month.

By Stay Gold, Orfevre is trained by Kenichi Ikezoe for Sunday Racing Co. Yasutoshi Ikee has the mount.

Camelot, the sharp winner of a maiden race at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland in his career debut in July, will be a short-priced favorite in his second career start, Saturday’s Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, England.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien for Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor, Camelot is listed at 12-1 in future-book betting for the 2012 English Derby. A colt by Montjeu, Camelot was a 3-2 chance on Thursday to win the Racing Post Trophy, which is run over a mile for entire colts and fillies. The race has a purse of approximately $314,000.

The Cox Plate, Australia's most important and richest weight-for-age event, will be conducted late Saturday afternoon at Melbourne's unique Moonee Valley Racecourse. In the buildup, the 2040-meter event (approximately 10 furlongs) and its expected field of 14 has been hyped as a showdown between longtime favorite Jimmy Choux and upstart sensation Helmet.