Search

show me:

Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes Preview 2024

3 minute read

A hot field has been assembled at Flemington for the Makybe Diva Stakes.

MR BRIGHTSIDE winning the PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes
MR BRIGHTSIDE winning the PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes Picture: Martin King / Sportpix

The highlight of racing is having the best race the best. Unfortunately, with multiple jurisdictions and calendars competing, that probably doesn't occur as often as it could.

That's why seeing Via Sistina down in Melbourne this early in the Spring is exciting, once again clashing with the likes of Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni.

Via Sistina was excellent first-up in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) in what was a slowly run race, coming from back in the field to get up narrowly. Her sectionals that day were very good, and her Racing & Sports rating comes in at 120, giving the indication she could've rated higher.

Of course last time we saw her in a genuinely run race, it was in a different race to the one setting said tempo in Pride Of Jenni where Via Sistina gave her 30 lengths around the turn at Randwick.

That mistake is unlikely to be made again, and any rise in distance will be a positive for her.

That said, she is quite short in betting here for a horse likely to be back in the field. Her peak rating also came in a slowly run Ranvet over 2000m, running 121, again backed up by big late splits.

Pride Of Jenni is the big question mark, because she was poor first-up. For all she did in the past two seasons, there have to be genuine queries on her, given the stable, and plenty of yard people, said she was ready to go in the Memsie.

It wouldn't surprise if she's a big improver, but she's always felt like a kamikaze style of horse that when it works, it's deadly, and when it doesn't, it's a complete miss.

Mr Brightside opted to go first-up into the Memsie this year and it probably just cost him the race. He's run to 120 on the R&S scale fresh and been beaten a long neck.

Compare that to his previous fresh ratings where he's gone 118, 121 and 114 in his past three, and he's come back basically as well as ever.

From those three fresh runs, he's then improved 4 pounds, 1 pound and 6 pounds at his second up run.

Averaging that out to his first-up run and his peak rating of 124 which came when winning this race last year, another slowly run race in which the sectionals suggested a touch more, and he looks nailed on to run 122-123 on Saturday.

That means Via Sistina will need to make that leap as well. She certainly can and I think probably just deserves favouritism, but the early markets which saw Mr Brightside close to $4 was too big.

He's now into $3.20 vs Via Sistina's $2.40 which looks closer to the right price. If the market backs Via Sistina again late, which I'm not sure they'll do, and we get $3.50 for Mr Brightside, or $8+ Pride Of Jenni, they're the bets I'd be having.


Racing and Sports

Flemington

Saturday, 14th September 2024

8
16:20
(local)

Crown Makybe Diva Stakes (G1)

Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN
AUD $755,325
1600m TURF HEAVY
8
16:20
(local)
AUD $755,325
1600m HEAVY

Crown Makybe Diva Stakes (G1)

Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN


FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 1. MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ) 7yo G
BULLBARS (AUS) - LILAHJAY (NZ)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
BEN, WILL & JD HAYES
$3.5
59kg
Lindsay Park Bloodstock (S Steel), Green Shorts Racing (A Visalli), K Paisley, C Paisley, B Carson, M Andreadis, J Molinaro, A Molinaro, J Evans, D Hollyman, S Horn, R Jarvis, G Kerr, D Lee, R White, D Cavallo, The Fighting Cowboys (A Pettiona), P Presti, L Presti & Hunter Graeber Racing

Sales Information

2nd 6. PRIDE OF JENNI (AUS) 7yo M
PRIDE OF DUBAI (AUS) - SANCERRE (NZ)
DECLAN BATES
CIARON MAHER
$5
57kg
A Ottobre, Mrs L Ottobre & M Ottobre

Sales Information

3rd 4. ANTINO (NZ) 6yo G
REDWOOD (GB) - MAHAMAYA (NZ)
BLAKE SHINN
TONY GOLLAN
$14
59kg
J Ramchandani

Sales Information

4th 5. WARMONGER (NZ) 4yo G
WAR DECREE (USA) - PRINCESS SAPPHIRE (NZ)
MICHAEL DEE
MICK PRICE & MICHAEL KENT JNR
$26
58.5kg

Sales Information

5th 8. VIA SISTINA (IRE) 6yo M
FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - NIGH (IRE)
JAMES MCDONALD
CHRIS WALLER
$2.6
57kg

Sales Information

6th 7. ATISHU (NZ) 7yo M
SAVABEEL (AUS) - POSY (NZ)
DAMIAN LANE
CHRIS WALLER
$11
57kg

Sales Information

7th 2. PINSTRIPED (AUS) 6yo G
STREET BOSS (USA) - SNITZEL BLITZ (AUS)
BEN ALLEN
ENVER JUSUFOVIC
$11
59kg

Sales Information

8th 3. CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) 4yo H
ALMANZOR (FR) - FIERY SUNSET (GB)
MARK ZAHRA
CIARON MAHER
$41
59kg

What are you really gambling with?

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au