Makybe Diva Day move reinvigorates The Archer

Named in honour of the winner of the first two editions of the Victoria Racing Club’s flagship event, it started out as the Hotham Handicap but for much of the past 40 years has been better known for the sponsor who had their name attached to the event.

Regardless of the name, it was iconic as the last-gasp qualifier for the Melbourne Cup.

Ten horses have won The Archer and then gone on to claim Melbourne Cup success, including Think Big, leading into the first of his two Cup wins (1974), Brew (2000) and Shocking (2009), who was the last to complete the double three days apart.

A quality field has assembled for the Group 3 Lexus Archer Stakes (2500m) with ten runners hoping to secure their spot in this year’s $8.56 million Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m).

The golden ticket race has been moved to Crown Makybe Diva Stakes Day from its traditional spot on Penfolds Victoria Derby Day, allowing trainers and their connections a longer lead time to plan their path towards the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

Recent Flemington winner Horrifying headlines the acceptances whose sire, Shocking won the Archer Stakes in 2009 on his way to Melbourne Cup glory.

The race has a strong link to the first Tuesday in November and 2019 Lexus Melbourne Cup champion Vow And Declare will also line up in the race.

Vow And Declare ran a Timeform figure of 117 when he won the Melbourne Cup in 2019, which is the same number Shocking and Ashrun (2020) ran in their respective Archer Stakes wins.

The only horses to run a bigger number in the Archer Stakes in the past 30 years are Maybe Better (2006), Maluckyday (2010), Prince Of Arran (2018) and Downdraft (2019), who all ran 118 to win their editions.

Maybe Better went on to run third in the Melbourne Cup, Maluckyday beat home all bar Americain, while Prince Of Arran logged the first of his three Melbourne Cup placings three days after his The Archer win.

So, even though Shocking is the only Melbourne Cup winner to come through The Archer in the past two decades, the 2500m Group 3 has still impacted the great race.

As has the 2500m Quality Handicap it replaces on Crown Makybe Diva Stakes Day.

Almandin won the 2017 edition of that event in a Timeform figure 121+, a mark that would have won every edition of The Archer in the past 30 years, before starting favourite in his Melbourne Cup defence, when he finished 12th.

Two years ago, High Emocean won the staying event on Makybe Diva Stakes Day before finishing third in the 2022 Melbourne Cup won by stablemate Gold Trip.

Last year, Mostly Cloudy won and while he did not progress to the Melbourne Cup, his formlines are intertwined with a horse already guaranteed a run in this year’s race, having finished second to The Map in the Listed Lexus Andrew Ramsden (2800m) earlier this year.

Mostly Cloudy is back chasing another ballot exemption on Saturday and meets Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained imports Post Impressionist and Point King, as well as Berkshire Breeze, Horrifying and Dashing Duchess, who all impressed during winter.

Interpretation is also engaged with the Ciaron Maher-trained runner chasing a spot in a third Melbourne Cup, having finished sixth last year after failing to finish in 2022.

It’s a line-up that gives the Lexus Archer Stakes every chance to make an impact in its first year in the new timeslot and continue its storied link to Australia’s most famous race.