Co-Caulfield Cup favourite Mongolian Khan is nominated to make his return to racing at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday in the Makybe Diva Stakes 2015 in Melbourne.

Mongolian Khan is one of the headline nominees for Saturday’s 2015 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. Photo: Steve Hart.

The Holy Roman Emperor stallion will debut as a four-year-old if accepted for the weekend’s $400,000 Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), the weight-for-age classic attracting a bumper 22 nominations.

Mongolian Khan is current $13 co-favourite with Japan’s Fame Game in the pre-field odds at Ladbrokes.com.au for the $3 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 10, but first he’ll look to go back-to-back for the four-year-olds in the Makybe Diva following the success of Dissident (2014) last year.

Other top stayers nominated to resume in the Makybe Diva Stakes include Robert Hickmott’s 2014 Cox Plate runner-up Fawkner who ran second in this race 12 months ago beaten just a nose, the John Sadler-trained import Mutual Regard whose sole run down under was a 14^th in the Melbourne Cup last November and Group 1 winning German import Our Ivanhowe who is Cup-bound this prep.

The rest of the nominees will boast the fitness edge should they line-up in the 16 starter final field with previous form this season leading into the mile classic including the Chris Waller-trained Boban.

A five-time Group 1 winner, Boban won the Memsie Stakes first-up over 1400m at Caulfield and will shoot for his sixth elite level this weekend before a freshen-up to be brought back for the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) down the Flemington straight on Derby Day, October 31.

Waller has also nominated for the in-form Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes runner-up from last weekend at Moonee Valley Bagman, eight-year-old Moriarty and French import Weary who ran fourth in the Memsie as he shoots for his second Makybe Diva Stakes win in three years following the success of Foreteller (2013) two years ago.

Another one of the most notable is the Tony McEvoy-trained High Chaparral stallion Alpine Eagle, the four-year-old having run second in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) back in March before a first-up second to Riziz in the Listed Penny Edition Stakes (1400m) in Adelaide three weeks back.

Other last start placegetters include Team Hawkes’ Memsie Stakes runner-up Entirely Platinum who put in a stellar run to finish a nose off the winner and the Ciaron Maher-trained Reset mare Set Square who won last year’s Crown Oaks over 2500m.

Also in the mix are the likes of 2013 Caulfield Cup runner-up Dandino, Peter Moody’s multiple Group winning stallion Hi World who ran fifth in the Memsie beaten only one and a half lengths, the now David Hayes & Tom Dabernig-trained Kiwi expat Rising Romance and New Zealand-trained Volkstok’n’Barrell who won the Rosehill Guineas last campaign.

Check out the full Makybe Diva Stakes 2015 nominations below then visit Ladbrokes.com.au to sign-up with the bookie offering the best markets on the race this weekend!

2015 Makybe Diva Stakes Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 12/09/2015