Boban is currently on top of 2015 Makybe Diva Stakes betting markets, but trainer Chris Waller does not believe that the five-time Group 1 winner is as good over a mile as he is over 1400 metres.
Boban is currently on top of 2015 Makybe Diva Stakes betting markets. Photo by: Steve Hart
Boban took out both the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) and Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival before he won the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) the following autumn, but he has missed the placings in his four subsequent starts at 1600 metres or beyond.
The Bernardini gelding started his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a win in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 29 and Waller said that he has trained on strongly, but he feels that the six-year-old will need a soft run in transit to take out the Makybe Diva Stakes.
“He is outstanding and he is working terrific,” Waller said.
“I don’t think that he is as good at a mile and he needs a soft run and he needs to settle.
“If that happens he can win.”
Boban is joined in the 2015 Makybe Diva Stakes field by Weary, who has performed well without winning in both the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) and Memsie Stakes since he returned to the races.
Weary has drawn towards the outside of the Makybe Diva Stakes field, but Waller does not believe that will be an issue and he is confident that the Group 1 event is the perfect race for the Astronomer Royal gelding.
“He is going terrific,” Waller said.
“Both his runs have been good and he had no luck last start.
“At Flemington it doesn’t matter where you go, he can go back.
“It is a terrific race for him.”
Waller is chasing his second win in the Makybe Diva Stakes after taking out the 2013 edition of the race with Foreteller and missing the placings with Boban (fifth behind Dissident in 2014) and Danleigh (fourth behind Shocking in 2010).
Boban is currently available at 2015 Makybe Diva Stakes odds of $4.40 with Ladbrokes and he remains a clear favourite from market mover Fawkner ($6), the emerging Alpine Eagle ($7), Weary ($11), Rosehill Guineas winner Volkstok’n’barrell ($11), Peter Moody-trained Hi World ($11) and Caulfield Cup runner-up Rising Romance ($11).
