Humidor has produced a huge performance to win the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) by more than three lengths from resounding favourite Hartnell at Flemington this afternoon.

The Teofilo gelding was almost a forgotten runner in the Makybe Diva Stakes field, but jumped well and took a position towards the tail of the field as Hey Doc, Hartnell and Le Romain traded early blows on pace.

Jockey Damien Lane was able to get the horse to successfully switch off in transit and waited until the field was at the bend before peeling the horse off the fence and into the clear.

Humidor mustered a huge turn of foot when he was asked for an extra effort with 400m to travel and looked the winner a long way from home; gapping his rivals with complete ease on his way to a second career Group 1 win.

Lane delivered a gem of a ride aboard Humidor to win the Makybe Diva Stakes and the jockey was thrilled with the feel that the horse offered up in transit.

“He’s a great talent and he’s really starting to put it all together,” Lane said.

“He just plugged along out the back there and started travelling up under me turning for home and I thought that I was the winner a long way out.

“Credit to Darren and all of his team – they have a knack of getting these sorts of horses to relax and he’s come such a long way since he came from the stable.

“He never would have been able to do this, so it’s just great.”

Trainer Darren Weir was thrilled with Humidor’s performance and win in the Makybe Diva Stakes and confirmed that the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) remains the major campaign target for the horse.

“Humidor ran unbelievably, really,” Weir said.

“He’s always promised that, it’s just been a matter of getting him right and the team have worked really hard trying to get his manners better and as you’ve seen at his last two starts, he’s paraded a lot better.

“Damien has done a lot of the hard yards. He had a gallop at Casterton on Monday and it wasn’t ideal because he’s just so tricky the horse, but he’s had a good week.

“When he tracked up and got to the outside and they’d run along quick-enough, I thought he’s really going to let go here, but I didn’t think he’d let go like that to be honest!

“The Caulfield Cup has been the plan all along, so we’re on track so far.”

Humidor posted a dominant win in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington during the Autumn Carnival and resumed this time for midfield finishes in both the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m).