The Makybe Diva Stakes is a weight for age Group 1 race over 1600m at Flemington racecourse in Victoria and in 2020 will be held on Saturday, September 12.

It is the first Group 1 of spring and has a total prize pool of $750,000. In 2019 the Makybe Diva Stakes was won by the Darren McAuliffe-trained Gatting. Despite opening at $101 in the betting, the gelding took home a 0.75L win over heavily-backed favourite Mystic Journey, with Jamie Kah on board. Mr Quickie finished third, while Hartnell rounded out the top four.

The Makybe Diva Stakes is the highlight race of what is set to be a big day of racing across the country. Also at Flemington are the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality and Let’s Elope Stakes. Meanwhile, at Rosehill there are three Groups 2, the Theo Marks Stakes, the Run To The Rose and the Sheraco Stakes.

The race was originally known as the Craiglee Stakes, which took its name from the home of former Victorian Racing Club chairman Wilfred Henry Johnston. However, from 2007 onwards the race has been named after legendary horse Makybe Diva, who famously won three Melbourne Cups in a row in the mid-2000s.

In 1948 Lungi won the very first Makybe Diva Stakes (then the Craiglee Stakes), and since then a number of well-known horses have claimed victory in the famous race. They include Melbourne Cup winners Comic Court, Light Fingers, Rain Lover, Jeune and Shocking, along with the likes of Northerly, Fawkner, and Humidor.

Only two horses have ever won the Makybe Diva Stakes in back-to-back years. Chicquita claimed victory in 1950 and 1951, while Sailor’s Guide did it later that decade, winning in 1956 and 1957.

2019 winner Gatting took home victory over the 1600m at Flemington in an impressive 1:33.97. It is, in fact, the fastest time in the race over the past 20 years and was less than a second off Scenic Peak’s course record over 1600m, which is 1:33.490.

The very definition of a blow out!

The 2019 Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes goes to Gatting at $101. @jamieleekah07 https://t.co/q2nKcmwc4m pic.twitter.com/6wFE3p2ldV

— Racing.com (@Racing) September 14, 2019

Makybe Diva Stakes Field

Due to the Makybe Diva Stakes being a Group 1 race held early in the Spring Racing Carnival it normally features excellent fields with quality horses looking to continue on to even better races. Nominations for the race close on Monday, September 7, with final acceptances being announced on Wednesday, September 9.

Find the 2020 Makybe Diva Stakes Field here:

No	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp Rating
1	VOW AND DECLARE	Danny O'Brien	Craig Williams	11	59kg	113
2	GAILO CHOP (FR)	Matthew Williams	John Allen	3	59kg	105
3	HARLEM (GB)	Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes	Jamie Mott	6	59kg	107
4	FIERCE IMPACT (JPN)	Matthew Smith	Mark Zahra	5	59kg	112
5	GATTING	Peter G Moody	Luke Nolen	4	59kg	107
6	LEVENDI	Peter Gelagotis	Jason Maskiell	1	59kg	105
7	KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE)	Chris Waller	Jye McNeil	15	59kg	109
8	SO SI BON	Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes	Daniel Stackhouse	16	59kg	106
9	MASTER OF WINE (GER)	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Michael Rodd	10	59kg	106
10	WARNING	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Billy Egan	9	58.5kg	103
11	DALASAN	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	Jordan Childs	8	58.5kg	103
12	QUICK THINKER	Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman	Michael Dee	13	58.5kg	106
13	RUSSIAN CAMELOT (IRE)	Danny O'Brien	Damien Oliver	14	57.5kg	105
14	PERFECT JEWEL	Grant & Alana Williams	William Pike	2	57kg	106
15	PRINCESS JENNI (NZ)	David Brideoake	Ethan Brown	12	57kg	102
16	MIAMI BOUND (NZ)	Danny O'Brien	Ben Melham	7	56.5kg	103

Makybe Diva Stakes Betting

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. In 2019, Gatting won at a starting price of $101, and he was yet another in a string of outsiders winning the race. Before Gatting, Grunt ($12), Humidor ($17) and Palentino ($9) all won at big starting prices, rewarding those punters who backed them in a big way.

Makybe Diva Stakes Results

As mentioned, Gatting took home the 2019 Makybe Diva Stakes, shocking almost everyone considering his starting price of $101. Mystic Journey finished second and Mr Quickie rounded out the placings.

Check out the full list of results from 2019 below:

PLACE	HORSE	TRAINER	JOCKEY	SP
1	Gatting	Darren McAuliffe	Jamie Kah	$101
2	Mystic Journey	Adam Trinder	Anthony Darmanin	$2.05
3	Mr Quickie	Phillip Stokes	John Allen	$31
4	Hartnell	James Cummings	Craig Williams	$10
5	Scales of Justice	Lindsey Smith	Dean Yendall	$4
6	Fifty Stars	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Ben Allen	$26
7	Rostropovich	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Dwayne Dunn	$26
8	Kings Will Dream	Chris Waller	Mark Zahra	$13
9	Night’s Watch	Chris Waller	Damien Oliver	$71
10	Humidor	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Damian Lane	$31
11	Oohood	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Michael Dee	$51
12	Yucatan	Liam Howley	Ben Melham	$17
13	Gailo Chop	Matthew Williams	Ms Linda Meech	$51
14	Sound	Michael Moroney	Jamie Mott	$201
15	Qafila	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Luke Nolen	$41