Makybe Diva Stakes 2023

In a hurry? We’ve listed all the quick facts that you need to know about the Makybe Diva Stakes:

The Makybe Diva Stakes is a Group One race over 1600m for three-year-olds and up. Raced at Flemington Racecourse, the Makybe Diva has weight-for-age conditions and will be held on Saturday, September 9th in 2023. The race in 2022 was won by I’m Thunderstruck, by just 0.1L to Alligator Blood.

The Makybe Diva Stakes is the first Group One of the season held at headquarters, Flemington Racecourse. It is run over 1,600m with a total prizemoney pool of $1M. This race is unique as the winner gets ballot-exemption entry into the Caulfield Cup, however not every winner takes up the offer. That won’t be the case in 2021 as Incentivise has the Caulfield Cups in his sights and gets in for free on the back of his win.

Some incredible horses have contested and won the Makybe Diva Stakes, formerly Craiglee Stakes until 2007, including Lord, Ming Dynasty and Northerly. When looking at the 2021 result, Incentivise won at $3.90, just behind Tofane ($3.80) in the markets.

Tofane finished fourth, getting out-sprinted to the line by 2021 G1 Winx Stakes winner Mo’unga (2nd) and 2020 Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet (3rd). The race record holder is Gatting, who won in 2019 with a time of 1:33:97. Despite the gelding winning the race in record time, his starting price was a massive $101.

The Makybe Diva Stakes is an Australian Group 1 race that brings some of the best horses and it attracts the attention of many Aussies who like to have a casual punt on. Our expert tipsters will put together a short list of Makybe Diva Stakes tips to look out for in the leadup to the big race.

Given how far away the race is and the fact that nominations are yet to be accepted for the 2023 Makybe Diva Stakes, it is hard to provide any updates at this time. However, as the new season starts and the Spring Carnival gets going, the horses that are targeting this race will become clearer and we will be able to provide you with updates.

If you are after Makybe Diva Stakes tips, then we will keep you informed with which horses are likely to be running, so you can place your futures bets with confidence!

We will list The Sharks’ Makybe Diva Stakes best tips for the race this year closer to the time of the race. Make sure you check back on this page for updates!

Makybe Diva Stakes Tips From Experts

Our tips are not out for the Makybe Diva Stakes in 2023 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2023 Makybe Diva Stakes.

You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned!

If recent history shows us anything, the Makybe Diva Stakes can be a very difficult betting race, but if you can find the winner, it is also very fruitful. While I’m Thunderstruck won at $$2.60 in 2022, Incentivise won at $3.90 in 2021 and Fierce Impact won as $4 favourite in 2020, Gatting had a massive price of $101 when winning in 2019.

He was yet another outsider to win the Makybe Diva Stakes, joining Grunt ($12), Humidor ($17) and Palentino ($9) to win at big starting prices, rewarding those punters who backed them in a big way.

When beginning to look at Makybe Diva Stakes betting, there are a lot of important factors to consider. Make sure you have a read on below before you place your bets:

Is Previous Form in the Makybe Diva Stakes a Good Indicator of Future Success?

In the history of the Makybe Diva Stakes, there has only ever been two horses to win multiple times. The most recent of those, Sailor’s Guide, was in 1957. That means that the last 64 winners have all been first-time winners.

In saying that, over the last 12 years, since 2010, four different horses have at least placed in back to back years, with Fawkner winning in 2015 after coming second in 2014. That indicates that horses can do well in consecutive runnings of the Makybe Diva, especially if they have at least placed.

Still, it is best to look at horses who have started their preparation off well and in good form, rather than looking at if they have run in the race previously.

Should I Bet On The Favourite in the Makybe Diva Stakes?

This is an interesting question to ask. Looking at the last four years alone, I’m Thunderstruck won as favourite, Incentivise won at $3.90 but didn’t jump as favourite, Fierce Impact won in 2020 as $4.00 favourite while Gatting won in 2019 priced at $101. While that is a stark contrast, the overall results indicate that it is best to bet around the favourite.

Since 2010, the last 13 editions of the Makybe Diva Stakes have seen just three  favourites win. Over that time six horses have won the race with double-digit odds, including the previously mentioned Gatting at a massive $101. This is a notoriously tough race for punters so it is best to follow our tips, back your gut and hunt for some value!

Formlines Heading into the Makybe Diva Stakes

From 2016-2018, the winner of the Makybe Diva Stakes seemed to follow a very similar path to success, however Gatting in 2019, Fierce Impact in 2020 and Incentivise in 2021 threw a spanner in the works.

It was back to normal in 2022, as I’m Thunderstruck won after contesting the Memsie Stakes. Palentino (2016), Humidor (2017) and Grunt (2018) all challenged the Makybe Diva Stakes third up after running in the Group One Memsie Stakes in their prior run. Funnily enough, all three didn’t even place in the Memsie, with Palentino’s fifth placing the best finish of the three in their lead up.

Gatting mixed things up completely, being based in Western Australia and racing through the winter. He then had a four week spell before taking on a listed race at Belmont (WA), and finishing fifth, before coming over for the Makybe Diva.

Fierce Impact had another different start to the preparation before winning the Makybe Diva, coming in second up after contesting the Group One Winx Stakes first up. He came third behind Verry Elleegant in that race, which was obviously quite a feat considering what that talented mare went on to do.

Incentivise brings yet another formline, considering that he was first up from a spell and contesting his first Group One contest. Obviously, at the time he was one of the biggest X-factor horses in Australian racing and was already favourites for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups heading into his first up run.

I’m Thunderstruck contested the Memsie Stakes previously and prior to that run he was on a spell for 16 weeks. It was a great run by I’m Thunderstruck in the Memsie, as he finished in second place. Prior to the Memsie, he contested the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Doncaster Mile and All Star Mile.

Age

There is no particular age that sticks out most when looking at previous Makybe Diva Stakes winners. Horses of five different ages have won over the last 12 years, ranging from four to eight. Five-year-olds have won five times, with I’m Thunderstruck being the most recent of those. Horses aged four and seven have each won three times over the last 12 years, since 2010, with Fierce Impact winning as a seven-year-old in 2020.

Here is a table indicating the ages of winners of the Makybe Diva Stakes since the 2010 edition:

Weight

Given the dominance by male horses in previous runnings of the Makybe Diva Stakes, horses carrying 59kg have won the most since 2010. A total of nine of the last 12 winners carried 59kg past the winning post, with three carrying 58.5kg and one with 57kg.

Here is a table indicating the weights of winners of the Makybe Diva Stakes since the 2010 edition:

Gender

An interesting trend comes up when looking at the genders of previous winners, specifically since 2010, with just one mare winning over the last 12 years. When looking at Makybe Diva Stakes betting tips, it is a smart idea to go with a male horse, with geldings winning seven times and horses (ungelded males) winning five times.

Based on our data that we have analysed so far, your Makybe Diva Stakes best bet is to look for a male horse, aged four or older, ideally five. They will be second or third up, with a run in the Group One Memsie Stakes being a good indicator, however Incentivise proved that if they are good enough, it doesn’t matter what their formlines are.

Makybe Diva Stakes Best Bets

Our tips are not out for the Makybe Diva Stakes in 2023 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field for the Makybe Diva Stakes is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2023 Makybe Diva Stakes.

You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned!

Long before the Makybe Diva Stakes field is officially announced – online bookies will open early markets, or all-in markets, for Makybe Stakes betting. This is prime time to bet on your favourite horse, as you might be able to bet on strong contenders for the 2023 Makybe Diva Stakes at double-digit odds.

Once the bookies release the 2023 Makybe Diva Stakes odds, they will obviously fluctuate frequently in the lead up to the race, especially when we have a better idea of which horses will be targeting the race and their form leading into the race.

Punting early on these markets can find you a favourite at prices of $10 or more, which will retain you a much higher return on investment. However, there is increased risk with doing this and you should be well aware.

Depending on when you place a futures bet on the 2023 Makybe Diva Stakes, your horse may not even run but you won’t get your money back, occurring when the market is ‘All-In’ or closer to the starting date. If you are betting when it says ‘Before Noms’, you have the security of receiving your money back if your horse doesn’t nominate.

The Makybe Diva Stakes odds are yet to be released. Please check back closer to race time for the updated odds.

While details about the field for 2023 isn’t available yet, take a look at the key runners in the field from the race in 2022. The Makybe Diva Stakes field often attracts some of the best horses who are progressing through the distances on their way to some bigger races towards the end of the Spring Carnival.

However, a funny statistic is that over the last 35 editions of the race, only four winners have won another race in that preparation, highlighting that the horses chasing success later in the carnival may not run, or do well, in this race.

Horses often attack this event second or third up, with the Group One Memsie Stakes a typical lead up race for horses rising through the distances on their way to either the Caulfield Cup or Cox Plate. Be sure to check out the results from that race before placing your Makybe Diva Stakes bets.

In 2022, it was a small field of just eight runners, but those eight runners where of the highest quality. I’m Thunderstruck was the pre-race favourite, and after his run in the Memsie Stakes, where he finished second, it was easy to see why.

On the next line of betting was Alligator Blood, who’s last start saw him win the $1.5 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap. Next up in the betting odds was Cascadian, who started at a price of $6.00. Cascadian was also a last start winner, beating a field of 14 for the All Aged Stakes in mid April.

With the 2023 Makybe Diva Stakes yet to be run and won, let’s have a look back at the 2022 Makybe Diva Stakes to see if there are any key performance indicators that can help us find the winner of this year’s Group 1 feature.

The Makybe Diva Stakes was kind to punters as the top two horses in the market ended up finishing first and second. I’m Thunderstruck proved to be too good for Alligator Blood, not by much though, winning by just 0.1L.

I’m Thunderstruck started from barrier one, while Alligator Blood was right next door in barrier two. It was actually Alligator Blood who was leading the race for a while, but I’m Thunderstruck just had a little too much speed, and with jockey Mark Zahra on his back, he did enough to get the chocolates.

In third place was Mo’unga, finishing 3.1L off the pace. Mo’unga had a starting price of $10, and jumped from the widest barrier of all, eight. He was fourth at both the 800m and 400m mark, but was just not able to keep up with the speed in the closing stages of the race.

You’ve read the words, now watch the video! Have a squiz below at the 2022 Makybe Diva Stakes race: