Makybe Diva Stakes 2025 - Barrier Draw & Final Field

Bets.com.au Staff

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Last updated: Wed 10 Sep 2025 01:53

Bets.com.au Staff 10 Sep 2025

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The 2025 Makybe Diva Stakes will be run on Saturday, September 13 at Flemington
Six runners has been confirmed for the Group 1 feature
The final line-up is detailed below

Via Sistina has drawn barrier two in the 2025 Makybe Diva Stakes. (Getty)

Via Sistina (barrier 2) suffered one of her biggest Australian defeats when second-up in the 2024 Makybe Diva Stakes on a Heavy 9, but she was a second-up winner over 1600m last autumn when claiming the Verry Elleegant Stakes.

Makybe Diva Stakes 2025 - Barriers & Final Field
Makybe Diva Stakes Winners

The champion mare resumed with victory in the Winx Stakes on August 23, her 10th Group 1 success. The daughter of Fastnet Rock is expected to follow a similar spring path to 2024, when she produced four wins from five starts including a record-breaking Cox Plate triumph.

Aeliana (barrier 5) pushed Via Sistina when finishing runner-up in the Winx Stakes. The four-year-old looks set to thrive as the distances increase, having ended her autumn campaign with a dominant Australian Derby win after finishing an unlucky but close second in the Rosehill Guineas.

Antino (barrier 4) was well held in third in the 2024 Makybe Diva Stakes when second-up. His last two Queensland victories came over 1800m and 2000m, and he was sound when resuming in the Memsie Stakes. He has four wins and a third from six previous second-up outings.

Mr Brightside (barrier 1) is aiming for a historic third consecutive Makybe Diva Stakes, with the eight-year-old well held first-up but sticking on honestly when runner-up behind Treasurethe Moment in the Memsie Stakes.

Tom Kitten (barrier 6) resumes on stable debut for Anthony & Sam Freedman, and the Godolphin galloper took out the 2025 All-Star Mile over this track and trip back in March.

He also has a solid fresh record, with two wins and a second from five first-up attempts, with that placing coming as an unlucky runner-up in the 2025 Futurity Stakes.

Makybe Diva Stakes 2025 - Barriers & Final Field

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	Mr Brightside (NZ)	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	Craig Williams	1	59kg
2	Tom Kitten	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Ben Melham	6	59kg
3	Antino (NZ)	Tony Gollan	Blake Shinn	4	59kg
4	Mark Twain (NZ)	Roger James & Robert Wellwood	Jamie Mott	3	59kg
5	Via Sistina (IRE)	Chris Waller	James McDonald	2	57kg
6	Aeliana (NZ)	Chris Waller	Damian Lane	5	56.5kg

Makybe Diva Stakes Winners

First ran in 1948 as The Craiglee Stakes, the Makybe Diva Stakes has a strong history on the Melbourne racing scene.

This event was first contested over 2000m before moving to the mile journey in 1965, the trip it is currently running at today, while the name change of the race occurred in 2007 to honour the three-time Melbourne Cup winning champion.

The race gained Group 1 status in 2013 and that year saw the Chris Waller-trained Foreteller upset short favourite Puissance de Lune to claim the prize.

Several high-quality runners have taken out this weight-for-age feature, including Light Fingers, Dulcify, Mahogany Northerly and Weekend Hussler.

I'm Thunderstruck (2022) and Mr Brightside (2023 and 2024) have won the last three editions of the Makybe Diva Stakes.