Peter Moody’s all-in Cups favourite Incentivise kicks off his spring in Saturday’s 2021 Makybe Diva Stakes jumping the well-backed favourite in the Group 1 mile showdown at HQ.

Winx Stakes winner Mo’unga is one of the key runners in Melbourne’s 2021 Makybe Diva Stakes this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

It is a shaping up as a stellar edition of the Group 1 $1 million Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) this weekend with 13 class weight-for-age hopefuls in the mix.

Makybe Diva Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au are dominated by highly-spruiked Shamus Award five-year-old Incentivise at $3.90 to win first-up from barrier three with Brett Prebble in the saddle.

A winner of six of his nine starts to date, the gun galloper debuts for the Moody stable having previously been prepared in Queensland by Steve Tregea.

Incentivise shot to the top of all-in betting for both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup this spring after dominating the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm with a 12-length success in late June.

Yet to win first-up and rising notably in grade here, the money and Moody suggest this untapped stayer can rise to the occasion and post a seventh consecutive victory.

Two horses follow as the equal second elects in Makybe Diva Stakes betting at $5 with the in-form Annabel Neasham-trained four-year-old from Sydney Mo’unga and Michael Moroney’s top mare Tofane.

Mo’unga hit the headlines in the autumn winning the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) before running unplaced against the older horses in the Doncaster (10^th) and Queen Elizabeth (7^th).

He was back to his best in his four-year-old debut however winning the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at double-figures and is now looking to frank that form heading south.

Tofane is also second-up, the six-year-old daughter of Ocean Park chasing her first win over further than 1400m.

Jockey Craig Williams retains the ride having guided her to victory in the Group 1 Stradbroke – Tatt’s Tiara double in Brisbane over the winter, as well as being aboard for the mare’s eye-catching first-up third when under a length beaten by Behemoth in Caulfield’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m).

Rounding out the single-figure fancies at $7.50 second-up is the Danny O’Brien-trained Perth expat Inspirational Girl jumping from barrier five with Damian Lane in the saddle.

Lane won the race back in 2017 aboard Humidor and rides a very nice type in Group 1 Railway Stakes winner and Kingston Town Classic runner-up last summer Inspirational Girl.

She debuted for O’Brien having transferred from the WA stables of Grant & Alana Williams a fortnight back when fifth in the Memsie and looks a better chance up in distance second-up here.

Of the longer-priced hopes those most likely to score an upset include Kiwi raider Aegon ($10) who ran a nice fourth in the Memsie fresh and Matthew Smith’s Japanese import Keiai Nautique ($13) coming off a very close fourth at 40/1 on debut down under in the Winx Stakes.

Click here for the latest Makybe Diva Stakes 2021 betting odds thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au.

2021 Makybe Diva Stakes Field & Barriers

Table Credit: Racing Australia.