Makybe Diva Stakes Tips & Preview 2023

Looking for Makybe Diva Stakes tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2023 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

MAKYBE DIVA STAKES BETTING SNAPSHOT

A small but select field of seven gallopers contends for Group 1 glory in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and it is the last start Memsie Stakes (1400m) winner, Mr Brightside, that is favourite with Dabble after the barrier draw at $1.90, while Alligator Blood is at $4 and Princess Grace is at $4.60.

Chris Waller’s four-year-old, Osipenko, is at $12, while the New Zealander, Aegon, is a $17 chance. Rough hopes go to Francesco Guardi ($26) and Spanish Mission ($31). 

MAKYBE DIVA STAKES FORM ANALYSIS

Five of the seven gallopers had their most recent start in the Memsie Stakes and three of those finished within a length of each other. 

Mr Brightside backed up his PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) win by settling handy and holding off Princess Grace in the dying stages by half a length. Mr Brightside was wide throughout but the school of thought was that he was in the better part of the track. 

Alligator Blood was solid in his return and stuck on well for 4th, beaten just under a length. Osipenko settled worse than midfield and was strong to the line, finishing 7th, beaten just less than three lengths. Aegon appeared to have his chance and finished 9th. 

The winner went 8.1 lengths faster than standard benchmark with the race developing into a bit of a sit sprint. Mr Brightside peaked third up in the autumn going 14.4 lengths faster than standard to claim the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley. 

Will it be a different story at Flemington? The question mark Mr Brightside is his form at Flemington and the Team Hayes-trained galloper has won just one of six at headquarters. Alligator Blood has won three of four, including two at the track and trip as well as a runner-up performance. 

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained galloper improved eight lengths on benchmark figures at this stage of his preparation last year when going from the Memsie to the Makybe Diva. He went 14.5 lengths faster than standard as the runner-up behind I’m Thunderstruck in 2022. In the autumn, the seven-year-old improved four lengths on figures when 4th behind Mr Brightside in the All-Star Mile. 

Those two gallopers have met on eight occasions and the ledger is split at four apiece. Alligator Blood finished ahead of Mr Brightside in their only clash at Flemington with that coming in the Champions Mile (1600m) last spring. 

Princess Grace is the other horse in the market and the former American galloper has finished out of the placings just once in her 18 starts. Four of those have come in Australia and in this campaign she has finished runner-up in successive Group 1 races. She should be ready to peak third up and is the X-factor in the race. 

It is hard to make a case for some of the others. Osipenko might not quite be up to the A-graders and Aegon is a rung or two below. Francesco Guardi and Spanish Mission are both likely to need the run. 

MAKYBE DIVA STAKES TIPS AND BEST BETS

Tactics are sure to come into play here and it is Alligator Blood that is likely to lead, while Mr Brightside and Princess Grace that play the stalking role. Spanish Mission might land on the speed but the remainders in the field are likely to go back. Look for Alligator Blood to give a kick at the top of the straight. It is hard to split the top three in the market but I am willing to roll the dice on Alligator Blood, given his form at Flemington and the fact that he should have improvement to come second up over the 1600m.