Makybe Diva Stakes 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: Older milers have a great record in the Makybe Diva Stakes in the past decade

The Makybe Diva Stakes is the opening Group 1 mile race of the annual Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and takes place on a Saturday in early – mid September at the famous Flemington Racecourse. The only elite level race at the meeting the weight-for-age showdown is worth $1,000,000 as of 2021 and often attracts horses that ran in the season’s first Group 1, the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield a fortnight before. The last horse to complete the Memsie Stakes – Makybe Diva Stakes double was Dissident (2014), a popular early spring racing bet with the punters.

Inaugurated in 1948 when Lungi won, Cosmic Court (1949) won the second edition of the Makybe Diva Stakes when it was known as the Craiglee Stakes. It was renamed in honour of superstar mare and three time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva in 2007 and has held Group 1 status since 2013. Other notable Makybe Diva Stakes winners over the years include Shocking (2010), Weekend Hussler (2008), Northerly (2002), Jeune (1995), Zabeel (1990) and Rose Of Kingston (1982).

The latest edition of the Makybe Diva Stakes ran on Saturday September 11, 2021 and was narrowly won first-up by Spring Cups’ favourite Incentivise for Peter Moody. 

Makybe Diva Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday September 11, 2021
• Track: Flemington Racecourse
• Distance: 1600m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $1,000,000
• First Run: 1948

2021 Makybe Diva Stakes Results

The official Makybe Diva Stakes 2021 Results & Finishing Order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday September 11, 2021.

• 1st: #6 Incentivise
• 2nd: #10 Mo’unga
• 3rd: #1 Sir Dragonet

Trainer Peter Moody was back in Group 1 winning form thanks to a narrow first-up win by his 12-length Tatt’s Cup winner from the winter, Incentivise ($3.90), who was ridden to victory fresh by Brett Prebble to defeat Winx Stakes winner Mo’unga in the Makybe Diva Stakes 2021 results. 

Makybe Diva Stakes Odds

Makybe Diva Stakes betting markets usually have horses that come via the Memsie Stakes two weeks earlier at the top of the odds with Dissident (2014) the last galloper to complete the double. The other horse in the past 10 years to win both the Memsie Stakes and Makybe Diva Stakes was Weekend Hussler (2008).

Favourites have a poor recent record with just three saluting in the past 11 years – the aforementioned Dissident, Weekend Hussler and most recently Fierce Impact ($4 in 2020).

There has been plenty of upsets in the meantime including 40/1 shot Littorio getting the job done in 2011 so looking further down the Makybe Diva Stakes odds for a value bet is always worth doing.

The Makybe Diva Stakes winner at the longest odds in recent history was 2019 champ Gatting who saluted at 100-1 defeating the hot favourite Mystic Journey.

2021 Makybe Diva Stakes Betting

The latest Makybe Diva Stakes 2021 betting odds and links to our Group 1 spring racing markets will be available here once open.

Makybe Diva Stakes Field

The Makybe Diva Stakes field has a capacity of 16 starters and was last run at that maximum number in 2010 when Shocking beat home his 15 rivals.

Final Makybe Diva Stakes acceptances are taken on the Wednesday before the race runs that Saturday and only once since 1997 have there been under 10 starters in the race when Marasco (2007) had just seven rivals to defeat in an eight-starter field.

Dissident (inside) led Makybe Diva Stakes betting and was the last favourite to salute for the punters back in 2014 before Fierce Impact six years later. Photo Credit: Race Horse Photos Australia.

Horses may come into the Makbe Diva Stakes field on the back of a first-up run in the Memsie Stakes, or many stayers kick off their spring bids in the race on way to longer distance features at the carnival including Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) a fortnight later.

2021 Makybe Diva Stakes Field

The official Makybe Diva Stakes 2021 Final Field & Barriers will be published in full below once acceptances for the Group 1 Flemington feature close the Wednesday of race week.

The 2021 Makybe Diva Stakes field features a star-studded line-up of 13 including returning Cups favourite Incentivise and the in-form Mo’unga coming off a Group 1 Winx Stakes win in Sydney first-up. 

2021 Makybe Diva Stakes Nominations

The Makybe Diva Stakes Nominations for 2021 close on the Monday of race week with the full list of early entries to be made available below.

Annabel Neasham’s last start Winx Stakes winner in Sydney Mo’unga headlines the 19 Makybe Diva Stakes 2021 nominations taken for the mile feature at Flemington this weekend. 

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Makybe Diva Stakes Tips

Makybe Diva Stakes tips often predict an upset result with double-figure runners boasting a good record in the race over the past decade or so. Horses that ran well in their lead-up races also tend to dominate Group 1 spring racing predictions as there have been three last start winners to take out the Memsie Stakes since 2008.

Inside barriers have produced eight Makybe Diva Stakes winners from 2012 -2021, but tipping isn’t led by gate positions as in recent years Littorio (14 in 2011) and Vigor (11 in 2009) have overcome wide barriers to salute in the feature, as did Vega Magic (10 in 2017).

Vega Magic went on to finish runner-up to Winx in the 2017 Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) so a good Makybe Diva Stakes tip is to watch for the best out of the mile feature in markets for Cox Plate at The Valley in late October.

2021 Makybe Diva Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Makybe Diva Stakes 2021 betting tips will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned to see what milers and stayers to back and sack in the Flemington Group 1 race this season.

• To Win: #10 Mo’unga ($5 at time of publish) 

What a great contest! Incentivise is narrow first-up favourite heading towards the Cup races, but think with the fitness edge and working his way up in distance off the impressive Winx Stakes win fresh over 1400m in Sydney the Annabel Neasham-trained Mo’unga (winner of the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas in the autumn) is the danger. 

Makybe Diva Stakes Form Guide

The Makybe Diva Stakes form guide lists basic info like the saddlecloth numbers, barriers, jockeys and trainers of all the horses lining up in the field.

Jockey Craig Williams has won two editions of the race aboard Littorio (2011) and Adelaide mare Southern Speed (2012) in the past decade, so looking for the horse he rides in the form guide could be a nice bet. You can also see the lead-up form as well as the track and distance records of the runners.

Makybe Diva Stakes Form Facts

• Single-digit Makybe Diva Stakes barriers produced eight winners from 2012 – 2021
• Southern Speed (2012) is the only Makybe Diva Stakes winning mare to beat home the boys since 1996
• Favourites in Makybe Diva Stakes betting have a poor recent record with just three saluting from 2008 – 2021
• The Memsie Stakes is a key lead-up producing all but four of the Makybe Diva winners from 2014 – 2021 including Dissident (2014) who did the double and Humidor (2017) who improved on a lead-up eighth to defeat that year’s odds-on favourite Hartnell

2021 Makybe Diva Stakes Form Guide

A link to our detailed Makybe Diva Stakes 2021 Form Guide and betting preview will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Makybe Diva Stakes Results

The Makybe Diva Stakes results are known when the race runs late on the Flemington race card on Makybe Diva Stakes Day and show not only the winning trifecta for exotic bets but the exact finishing order of all the runners as well as any scratched horses, plus the winning time and margin for the record books.

There have been plenty of recent upset Makybe Diva Stakes results including big odds on offer for the ill-fated Gatting ($101 in 2019) who sadly passed away after breaking down in the same event in 2020, Humidor ($7 in 2017), Foreteller ($15 in 2013) and Littorio ($41 in 2011).

Mares have a poor record in the Makybe Diva Stakes race results with just the one win since 1996, while just two eight-year-olds have won the race in over 30 years with Hugs Dancer (2004) and Fawkner (2015).

Makybe Diva Stakes Winners