Mad Monday: Makybe Diva Stakes Day

For the Time Poor:

This table provides a race-by-race snapshot of how each event at Flemington on Saturday was run and won. Using sectional time data benchmarked against historical standards, it delivers an easy-to-digest breakdown of early speed, late speed, and an overall race rating – giving you a clear picture of tempo and performance at a glance.

Track Summary:

• The track raced close to perfectly. If you were served up that deck every day of the week punters could charge in with great confidence.
• The inside section of the track was as good as anywhere, this rewarded horses who raced on speed and had the requisite talent.

Moment of the Day: Revelare Storms Into The Cup

They walked in the Archer – 15L below standard (what’s considered an ‘average’ speed) to the 800m mark – so it wasn’t a true staying test. For that reason, the jury is still out on whether Revelare will truly see out the famous two miles on the first Tuesday in November.

Still, for mine, it was the standout moment of the day. And with that win he has secured his Golden Ticket into the big race.

REVELARE 🎫

A golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup for this emerging stayer who will be one of the best local chances in the great race 🏆 pic.twitter.com/56FCh8KULm

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 13, 2025

Bred and owned by Colleen Bamford, who famously shared Melbourne Cup glory with Americain back in 2010, the gelding is aiming to continue the Aussie resurgence in the Cup after the Poms had seemingly stolen our race.

Trainer Robert Hickmott knows exactly what it takes to win. He spent years in the service of Lloyd Williams, who understands the Cup puzzle better than just about anyone, perhaps save Bart. Hickmott prepared Green Moon to victory in 2012 and Almandin in 2016, both European imports handpicked by Williams.

This time, though, the circumstances are different. Hickmott is putting the polish on a son of superstar So You Think, bred at Daisy Hill in Doreen, and he’s now operating out of Ballarat rather than Williams’ private Macedon Lodge.

Steer Of The Day – Blake Shinn (r10)

Just a sublime ride from gate sixteen. Shinn got Golden Path to jump beautifully, and from there he made light work of the gate, finding a position one out, three back, off a hot tempo. He simply couldn’t have given the gelding a better run in the race.

Forgive Me:

West Of Swindon (r3)

He did it the tough way, three wide without cover, but was as strong as anything on the line. It was his first time going the Melbourne direction and if he draws a gate next start expect him to prove awfully hard to beat.

VINROCK ⭐

The Group 1 winner is too good! He shoulders the 59.5KG and gets his Spring campaign rolling in the Exford Plate 👏👏@mattlaurierace pic.twitter.com/v3kf9rrw0p

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 13, 2025

On Display (r9)

On Display went off second favourite in the Let’s Elope and I think she’s still looking for a run. Gate one is a terrific alley until its not, and for backers of On Display the rails run quickly turned into a car crash. It was no fault of jockey Ben Melham, there was simply no run there at any stage, and when he did try to push through a skinny gap inside Bossy Benita the door was quickly closed.

Tactics Questioned:

Everyone bar Craig Williams and Jamie Mott in the Makybe Diva

I won’t labour the point as it’s covered in the comment piece I wrote on Sunday. It can be read here. 

It made a mockery of Group 1 racing, which is meant to represent the best of the best racing each other. This was the best of the best having a Group 1 barrier trial for $750k.

The collective reaction of punters demonstrates how punter confidence in the sport can be dented when a contest descends into a farce.

The Flashing Light:

Pondalowie (r5)

This mare went around $81, but she ran much better than market expectations. She settled rearward, was held up for a good chunk of the straight then flashed late into fifth. She has generally been kept to the sprint trips with good effect, but Emma-Lee and David Browne surprisingly went straight to the 1400m this campaign, and it could prove a masterstroke.

Leica Lucy (r10)

Suspect this mare found her way into a stack of blackbooks after her slashing run in the Let’s Elope. She was stone motherless at the turn before rattling down the outside to grab fourth, charging home in the best last 400/200m splits of the entire meeting. It was a huge first-up performance and wherever she goes second-up, she’ll be mighty hard to beat.

They Left It In The Bag:

She’s An Artist was backed as if she only had to turn up in the opener. Bookies went up $2.80 midweek but the weight of money kept coming until she jumped at $1.85. Trouble was, she never really looked likely and was plain enough, even in the better ground down the straight. At the other end of the market, $61 outsider Persian Spirit gobbled them up like a $2.50 pop and looks in for a super campaign.

Flemington Race 1 | Persian Spirit

Persian Spirit blows the punters out in the first 😱 @HTCoffey guides the @wilde_racing trained sprinter to an impressive resuming win 👊

📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/YXxlm1okS8

— Racing.com (@Racing) September 13, 2025

Punters Got The Lot:

Punters had a few strong results at HQ.

Vinrock was the first big win, heavily backed to take out race three after Mark Zahra gave the Group 1-winning 2YO an absolute peach from the wide draw. He was $5.50 early but crunched into a warm $2.70 favourite by the jump.

But the loudest roar of the day came in race nine with Lazzura. She was $3.40 into as short as $2.50 before easing slightly during the afternoon. Then punters piled in late like her number was already up in lights, sending her off at even money. She travelled sweetly but at the 100m it looked a proper dogfight with Oh Too Good. In the end, she dug deep and to the collective cheers of punters everywhere, got the job done.

LAZZURA 😅

The favourite scrapes in! Look away now if you were with On Display 😬 pic.twitter.com/nrLZItEHFH

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 13, 2025

Time For A Stiff Drink And A Lie Down… Globe backers

It was tough viewing if you backed Globe in the last. He led them a marry dance into the home straight, with Mark Zahra seemingly sitting pretty atop the gelding. But he had worked hard in the early stages of the race and the query was always going to be the 1700m. The straight was painfully long for his backers and by the time they hit the 200m you could see he was a chance of being caught. At the 100m mark it was clear he was a shot duck. He was ultimately gobbled up by his well-backed stablemate, Golden Path.

Golden Path on the line 😲

Globe looked home for all money but the stablemate swamped him late! @blake_shinn goes home with a double 🥇🥇@MickPriceRacing pic.twitter.com/CrhMaslobA

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 13, 2025

The 1700m may be beyond him, but suspect Globe at least goes closer with a slightly more sedate ride the first-half of the race – he went out 5.5L above standard.

Time For A Stiff Drink And A Lie Down… World Pool Punters

Anyone who backed Arkansaw Kid on the tote would’ve half-felt like a loser when dividends dropped. He closed at $2.85 on the World Pool, despite SP’ing $3.20 and paying up to $3.60 on the Exchange. It continues a fairly wretched run for favourite punters on Australian races the World Pool has operated since its inception.

A winner’s a winner, but it’s becoming clear: if you fancy one at the pointy end of the market, you need your wits about you before considering the tote when the World Pool is in play.

Punters did better in the other two World Pool races. Revelare jumped $3.10 on the World Pool (SP $2.90), while Mr Brightside was generous at $5.35 versus his $4.80 SP. The biggest target for World Pool punters was Aeliana, crunched into $3.95 from an SP of $5.

Many discerning punters already have a sour taste around the World Pool, knowing take-out rates are higher than what we’re used to in Australia. Skinny dividends only adds to it, and ultimately frustrates recreational punters, too.

The liquidity of the World Pool can have its benefits for Australian punters, but it shouldn’t be embraced until take-out rates are at least brought into line with local standards. It’s not much to ask.

A nod to the Brits

Credit to the Brits for standing up to government overreach. Faced with a tax hike that would slug punters, they pulled the pin on midweek racing to make their point.

Here in Australia, state governments keep whacking up the Point of Consumption Tax, which only pushes punters’ costs higher. Turnover’s fallen – no surprise, wagering on racing is elastic, not inelastic – and with budgets bleeding, the whispers of more hikes to come won’t go away.

❌ British Racing is taking the unprecedented decision to cancel fixtures on Wednesday in protest at the Government’s racing tax plans.

ℹ️ Full details: https://t.co/LqOFRIfVx5 #AxeTheRacingTax pic.twitter.com/jWOrkeHhgL

— British Horseracing Authority (@BHAHorseracing) September 8, 2025

Social Media Sin Bin

I’ll preface this by saying Shane Ciurleo, despite his social media antics, is one of the more intelligent thinkers in racing. In fact, there’s a a chance the below was satire all along and the joke is actually on fools like me who took it as his genuine view.

BUT, this tweet suggesting the Cox Plate should be ‘retired’ with the closure of the track was ludicrous.

This is why The Cox Plate should never be run again. Retire it into folklore with the closure of the track. https://t.co/1a0HdlQdpF

— Shane Ciurleo (@shaneciurleo) September 9, 2025