Makybe Diva Stakes Day represents the first truly stellar card of the Spring Racing Carnival, with the Makybe Diva Stakes itself serving as the main event.

Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse will play host to plenty of other high-profile races on Saturday September 12 (12:10 AEST start), so who are the standout horses and picks on this fine day of action?

Let’s take a look at some of the runners… If you are new to the punt, it is worth getting across how horse betting works before diving in.

Quick Picks

Our pick: Gold Coast Belle to win the Elope Stakes

Value bet: Nearco Frod to win the Archer Stakes

Long shot: Hedged to win the Bobbie Lewis

Betting Preview

Ten races in all will be contested on Makybe Diva Stakes Day; and you can read our verdict on the headlining Makybe Diva Stakes on this very site.

As for the other action on the card, three other Group races – Let’s Elope Stakes, the Bobbie Lewis and the Archer Stakes – particularly catch the eye.

Danny O’Brien won the Let’s Elope Stakes in 2024 with Grinzinger Belle, and he’s back in 2026 with the latest progeny off the production line: Gold Coast Belle. 

O’Brien is one name worth watching among the most successful horse racing trainers in the country.

She is going to start as a warm favourite for the 1,400m renewal, with Coeur Volante – a former Group 2 winner – likely to offer a steady challenge after enjoying a decent warm-up at Flemington last week.

Meanwhile, Oliveanotherday will probably start as the odds-on favourite for the Bobbie Lewis. The three-year-old has won three from three at Caulfield, including the Group 3 Quayclean Heath last time out.

But Hedged is a Group 2 winner that was runner-up in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate last season, while King Of Roseau is a Group 3 champion who seems to favour spring conditions.

The winner of the Archer Stakes earns an automatic place in the Melbourne Cup, so it’s no wonder that the leading owners and trainers are queuing up to enter.

With a spot in the great race on the line, it is a good time to brush up on the history of the Melbourne Cup.

This is a stayers’ race contested over 2,500m, with Nearco Frod – on a four-race unbeaten streak – likely to head the market.

The five-year-old has won over course and distance and acts on all ground, and as such will surely be there or thereabouts on Saturday.

Win and Place Betting

When diving into some of the facts, it’s worth noting that eight of the last 10 editions of the Let’s Elope have been won by four-year-olds, while no horse aged over five has won this renewal since 2011 .

So Coeur Volante has the weight of history against her as a six-year-old, which is why Gold Coast Belle (four) is so fancied .

Those preferring a place bet in the race may be interested in Salty Pearl , the four-year-old who has shown her best work at just shy of a mile including a narrow defeat to Makybe Diva Stakes favourite Sheza Alibi last season.

Oliveanotherday may hose home in the Bobbie Lewis, but Hedged is an interesting win or place play and may offer more value. He was less than two lengths behind the winners of two Group 1 renewals last term, including the breathtaking finish to the Kia Ora Galaxy.

Nearco Frod looks every inch an Archer Stakes champion , and in truth holes can be picked in the chances of his main rivals here.

Our Predictions

You can see the latest Makybe Diva Stakes Day betting odds at Sportsbet.

We’re predicting another Danny O’Brien victory in the Let’s Elope Stakes courtesy of Gold Coast Belle , while Hedged is an interesting win/place play in the Bobbie Lewis.

In the Archer Stakes, Nearco Frod looks to be a class above the rest of the field and is definitely our pick of the runners.