Cox Plate Preview - Diva Fever

IT TAKES no more than a mug punter to realise how good a horse Makybe Diva really is.

The Diva phenomenon is not just two Melbourne Cups. It’s not just a world-record run in the Australian Cup, or complete domination over races like the Sydney Cup and The BMW.

It’s the whole package of perfection from the six-year old mare. She strips fitter after every run and her calculating destruction of the Turnball Stakes field shows just how good she is.

Tracking a similar run to that of Might and Power, who could never claim the legend status until he bagged the Cox Plate, Makybe Diva will find immortality if she win this one.

Not much will stop her. The damp weather is perfect, stifling a number of her competitors along the way. The talk of God’s Own, Confectioner and Xcellent is starting to rise, but don’t get too sidetracked about their credentials.

Cummings had God’s Own set for the Guineas, Confectioner got slammed by the Diva over the same distance and Xcellent’s NZ form is still only exactly that – foreign form. Starcraft anyone?

‘Group One Glen Boss’ adores the big races and he’ll get his first Cox Plate right here.

Race 7 - Cox Plate tips: Makybe Diva, Lad of the Manor, God's Own.

Sebastian’s tips for the rest of the card:

Race 1: I Got Chills, Wiener, Snort.
Amazing sprint first up by David Hayes’s star 2YO I Got Chills. Will start an almost unbackable favourite, but her dad, General Nadiym infamously flopped on this day in 1998 when starting as a $1.20 favourite. Surely she’ll do better.

Race 2: Testa Reale, Fabriarna, Benko.
Superbly-bred Testa Reale looks the one to beat here, especially if the track keeps its dead rating. Duel Command will offer some excellent value for punters looking at a long shot.

Race 3: Coronga, Denmarket, Facing The Breeze.
Coronga has to be the pick if the rain continues to fall, but if it dries up, Denmarket will go in as favourite and offers plenty of food for thought.

Race 4: Duelled, Manton, Benecio.
A traditional lead-up to the Victoria Derby, Dulled and Manton look to be prime and ready to strike. Lightly raced and well-bred Quay Lago has appeal at massive odds.

Race 5: Virage De Fortune, Segments, Dance Hero.
Segments’ mind-blowing win last start was red hot – Slipper winning Dance Hero can match that but both horses are temperamental. Virage De Fortune is four from four on dead tracks, carries a feather weight and smashed them at her last go here. Watch the market, watch the skies.

Race 6: Matras, Storm Alert, Aqua D’Amore.
Boom miler Matras shapes as unbeatable if she can settle from her horrid barrier. The rest isn’t all that flash, but Lee Freedman’s other raider Storm Alert might have a go. Former gun Hidden Strings showed form last start, and if Infinite Grace and Natural Blitz can return to their best, so can he.

Race 8: Miss Potential, Niconero, Lieutenant.
Anyone who can nail Alinghi at Flemington has talent: Miss Potential did that and is back for more. She drilled them last start and will again unless Niconero finds an extra gear on the home straight.

Race 9: Perlin, Sarrera, Kindjhal.
Perlin is a class above this dismal group two field and should cane them, even from the outside barrier – unless the rain continues to fall – bringing Sareera right into contention.

Race 10: Proprietor, Strikeline, Unabated.
Proprietor looks the pick of a weak field. Punters struggling to find cash for the cab ride home might load up on a trusty old timer, like Mr Magoo, Dandy Kid or ten-year old veteran Bomber Bill.

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