VIRTUAL CHOICE

Bill Saunders’ Virtual FormGuide reviews the weekend’s major races in its weekly newsletter (emailed out every Thursday – click here to subscribe).
This week Bill and his crew look at the Makybe Diva Stakes and, believe it or not, their ‘statistical picks’ are often on the money.

This year’s renewal of the Group Two Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) – also known as the Craiglee Stakes – is an exceptionally open race with a host of chances.
However if we use history as a guide, it perhaps narrows down the chances and highlights a couple of runners.
Twelve of the last 17 Craiglee Stakes have been won by horses that contested the JJ Liston Stakes at Caulfield earlier that campaign.
Shocking, Heart Of Dreams, Zavite, C’est La Guerre, Vigor, Mourayan, Sterling Prince and Monaco Consul all back-up from the Liston.
Many of those 12 winners of the Craiglee, finished in the placings in the Liston. With Shoot Out not running and Predatory Pricer sidelined due to illness, Heart Of Dreams (3rd) is the best credentialed horse on historical precedent for Saturday’s race.
Interestingly, five-year-old geldings and older have won the Craiglee 17 times, the same amount of wins since 1965 as four-year-old colts and geldings.
Monaco Consul and Chartreux are the only four-year-olds in this year’s Craiglee and should Monaco Consul win the Craiglee, he’d join the likes of Mahogany, Sovereign Red Dulcify and Tobin Bronze as horses to have won both the VRC Derby and Craiglee Stakes.

The one and only Makybe Diva