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The Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes is a 1600m weight-for-age contest at Flemington, run on Saturday 12 September 2026. Our tips, field and best bets are published in race week.
Result: Sheza Alibi won the 2026 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on Saturday 12 September, denying Mr Brightside a fourth straight win in the race. Makybe Diva Stakes tips, best bets, field and odds. Below is our complete Makybe Diva Stakes guide: race details, history and past winners, lead-in form, betting markets and FAQs. The 2026 running is Saturday 12 September at Flemington. Final field, odds and our best bets are added once acceptances are declared.
The Makybe Diva Stakes is a Group 1 weight-for-age mile at Flemington worth $750,000, run this year on Saturday 12 September. Named after the three-time Melbourne Cup winner, it is one of the opening Group 1s of the Melbourne spring carnival and a key early form pointer for the spring’s top middle-distance horses. This guide covers the Makybe Diva Stakes dates, distance, prize money, betting markets and our full race-day tips. For the full carnival, see our Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival guide, and track where these milers head next at the Cox Plate and Caulfield Stakes.
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Makybe Diva Stakes Race Details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Distance | 1600m |
| Class | Group 1 Weight-for-Age |
| Age / Conditions | Three-year-olds and upwards |
| Venue | Flemington, Melbourne |
| Prize Money | $750,000 |
| Run Date | Saturday 12 September 2026 |
Makybe Diva Stakes 2026 Preview
The race has one obvious storyline. Mr Brightside has won the last three Makybe Diva Stakes, the first horse to take it three years running, and he arrives this time beaten. He ran second in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on 29 August, three lengths behind Beiwacht, in the opening Group 1 of the Melbourne spring. A fourth straight win would be one of the more remarkable sequences in a modern Australian weight-for-age race.
There are two reasons not to write him off on that run. The first is distance: the Memsie is 1400m and the Makybe Diva is a mile, and his record is built at 1600m rather than over sprint trips. The second is the track. Caulfield rewards a sharp turn of foot off a tight circuit, where Flemington is a long, galloping straight that pays a sustained finishing effort. A horse beaten in the Memsie reversing that form at Flemington a fortnight later is a recognised spring pattern rather than an excuse.
What the race decides. This is the first serious mile test of the Melbourne spring and the standard form line into the Cox Plate, which in 2026 is at Flemington rather than Moonee Valley. That changes how you read it: for once the Cox Plate is on the same style of track as its main lead-in, so Makybe Diva form should transfer more cleanly than in a normal year.
How to bet it. Weight-for-age fields at this trip are usually small and short at the top, so the win market tends to be thin. The value sits in the head-to-head matchup markets between the two or three main chances, and in the each-way price on anything stepping up from 1400m with a genuine mile pedigree. We do not publish fixed prices here, so compare current markets with your bookmaker.
The confirmed field, barriers and our best bets are added to this page once acceptances are declared.
Makybe Diva Stakes History & Winners
Recent winners include Mr Brightside, who in 2025 became the first horse to win three consecutive Makybe Diva Stakes (2023, 2024, 2025), as well as Streets Of Avalon, Mo’unga, Fierce Impact and I’m Thunderstruck. Many winners have gone on to Cox Plate or Queen Elizabeth Stakes success later in the season.
Lead-In Races
Most runners come to the Makybe Diva first-up or second-up off trials, making it one of the season’s premier resuming targets for elite weight-for-age horses.
Makybe Diva Stakes Betting Markets
All major Australian bookmakers price the Makybe Diva Stakes weeks out, with a full acceptances market released after the final field is declared. The core markets are:
- Fixed-Odds Win & Place: the bread-and-butter markets, with early speculative prices followed by final acceptances pricing.
- Each-Way: typically 1/4 the odds for a place (1-2-3).
- Exotics: quinella, exacta, trifecta and First 4. See our First 4 calculator guide.
- Same Race Multis: combine multiple runners from the same race into one bet. See our Same Race Multi guide.
- Head-to-Head & Group Markets: runner-vs-runner matchups and stable/country markets.
How to Watch the Makybe Diva Stakes in Australia
The Makybe Diva Stakes is broadcast live on Sky Racing and streamed on Racing.com, the home of Victorian thoroughbred racing. Most major bookmakers also stream the race live to logged-in account holders on race day. Makybe Diva Stakes Day is Saturday 12 September in 2026 at Flemington. The Group 1 mile is the feature of the card in the afternoon (AEST) as the spring carnival gets underway. For the wider program, see our horse racing tips hub.
Best Bookmakers for the Makybe Diva Stakes
For a full comparison of the top Australian racing bookmakers, see our best horse racing betting sites in Australia guide.
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Exclusive 365AUCODE referral code: bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers.18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Makybe Diva Stakes FAQs
When is the Makybe Diva Stakes?
The 2026 Makybe Diva Stakes is at Flemington on Saturday 12 September. It is normally run in early September.
What distance is the Makybe Diva Stakes?
The Makybe Diva Stakes is run over 1600m at Flemington.
Is the Makybe Diva Stakes a handicap?
No. The Makybe Diva Stakes is run at weight-for-age.
How much is the Makybe Diva Stakes worth?
The Makybe Diva Stakes carries $750,000 in total prize money.
Who is the race named after?
The race is named after Makybe Diva, the champion mare who won three consecutive Melbourne Cups (2003, 2004, 2005), the only horse to achieve that feat.
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