2016 Makybe Diva Stakes Field: Three for Weir

Record breaking Melbourne trainer Darren Weir will saddle-up three chances including the short-priced favourite Black Heart Bart in the Makybe Diva Stakes 2016 field at Flemington Racecourse this weekend.

Four-time winning jockey Damien Oliver partners the 2016 Makybe Diva Stakes favourite Black Heart Bart in the Flemington Group 1 this Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Due to run as Flemington Race 7 at 4:10pm (AEST) on Saturday afternoon as the second elite level of this season’s Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, the $500,000 Group 1 PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) has attracted a final field of 13.

Leading the Makybe Diva Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au, Weir’s former Perth-trained champion Black Heart Bart has drawn mid-field with barrier eight.

In super-consistent form, the Blackfriars gelding comes off a first-up Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) win at Caulfield a fortnight back.

This weekend Damien Oliver comes aboard in place of the suspended Brad Rawiller, the star jockey chasing his fifth Makybe Diva Stakes victory.

Oliver’s previous Makybe Diva Stakes winning rides were on Marble Halls (1997), Sky Heights (1999), Vigor (2009) and Fawkner (2015) last year.

The Memsie Stakes – Makybe Diva Stakes double meanwhile was last achieved just two years back by Dissident (2014), while gate eight last produced a winner of the latter with Shocking in 2010.

Weir’s other Makybe Diva Stakes acceptors are the reigning Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance out wide in barrier 12 with John Allen in the saddle and Palentino.

Mark Zahra partners Australian Guineas winning Teofilo stallion Palentino from a nice gate five draw, the galloper out to improve on his last start fifth when just under five lengths off his winning stablemate in the Memsie Stakes.

Runner-up in the Memsie Stakes, Rising Romance, is another headline hopeful for Saturday’s rematch in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

The 2014 Caulfield Cup runner-up and former ATC Oaks winner was 1.25 lengths back for second in first-up in the Memsie, the proven stayer set to improve over the extra metres on Saturday.

Rising Romance, who heads towards her third run in the $3 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) this October, is joined in this weekend’s Group 1 Melbourne race field by two fellow Lindsay Park-trained runners.

David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig are also represented by Jacquinot Bay and He Or She in barriers nine and six respectively.

Two of the past four Makybe Diva Stakes winners jumped from barrier six giving Craig Williams’ mount He Or She an advantage.

The six-year-old is a three-time winner from five runs over the distance and a Flemington winner defeating The United States in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) here back in March.

Along with Palentino, the other two headline four-year-olds in the weight-for-age clash are the Mick Price-trained VRC Derby winner from last spring Tarzino and the autumn’s ATC Oaks champ Sofia Rosa.

Craig Newitt rides Tarzino from barrier four chasing his third win in the race after success aboard Pompeii Ruler (2006) and Foreteller (2013).

The Stephen Marsh-trained New Zealand raider Sofia Rosa meanwhile has the outside barrier (13) to overcome, the Makfi mare looking to finish closer than her Memsie Stakes 10^th first-up on August 27.

Check out the full Makybe Diva Stakes 2016 field, barriers and jockeys below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au to open a new account quoting the code BETBONUS to enjoy up to $500 in bonuses (excluding NSW / T&Cs apply).

2016 Makybe Diva Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Flemington Race 7 (4:10pm) – 10/09/2016