Mr Brightside caps off a huge day for Lindsay Park with historic Makybe Diva victory
Mr Brightside (Bullbars) enhanced his reputation as a people’s horse when he benefitted from a Craig Williams riding lesson to secure a tenth elite-level success in Saturday’s Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
Williams gave his five rival jockeys a clinic in the Flemington feature, being allowed to set a crawling pace on the eight-year-old Mr Brightside, who was sent out an easing $5 equal second elect behind the raging $1.80 favourite Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) and James McDonald.
Mr Brightside flopped into the lead from the start and cruised a length or more in front from the 1400m to the 600m with sectionals of 12.82 seconds, 13.01, 12.94 and 12.22. Tom Kitten (Harry Angel) was one rival unhappy with the pace, pulling for his head in stages near the back of the pack, yet none of the chasing jockeys opted to put pressure on the leader.
The 48-year-old Williams let Mr Brightside go entering the straight and, full of running and with his rivals powerless to catch him, he dashed away to a three-length lead by the 200 metres, and ultimately scored by 1.5 lengths.
ATC Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Aeliana (Castelvecchio), also at $5, performed solidly second-up to take second, with Via Sistina 0.4 lengths further back in third.
While questions were asked of rival jockeys, Ben, JD and Will Hayes could once again toast the most special horse of their time so far in charge of Lindsay Park as Mr Brightside extended his remarkable record.
Bought from Phoenix Park’s draft by Phill Cataldo Bloodstock at the Karaka May Sale of 2019 for just $22,000, Mr Brightside has now earned $17.97 million.
He’s one of three stakes winners, and the only one west of the Tasman, from 109 runners for Bullbars (Elusive Quality) – who moved from New Zealand to South Australia in 2020, covered less than 20 mares in each of three seasons, and disappeared from the stud book after 2022, when just 15.
Mr Brightside’s unraced dam Lilahjay (Tavistock) has produced just the one stakes winner from six foals to race, though to be fair all of them have been winners, with two others scoring in metro class.
Despite these humble pedigree notes, Mr Brightside has – as an emotional Williams noted – earned a place in the hearts of a legion of racing fans, enhanced with his third successive Makybe Diva Stakes success on Saturday.
He became the first male horse to win three successive editions of a Flemington Group 1, following four females. Makybe Diva (Desert King) herself of course won three Melbourne Cups (Gr 1, 3200m), Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) took three straight runnings of the Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m), and – before the modern pattern system – Tranquil Star (Gay Lothario) and Wakeful (Trenton) each raised a Mackinnon Stakes hat-trick.
“This horse, he just carries so many racing fans and people,” Williams told Racing.com of the gelding named after the hit song by The Killers.
“If you love the song, you’ve got him as well. He’s just really captivated people around Australia.
“He’s the best, or one of the best milers in Australia on his day. He’s the best on his day and one of the best when he’s not. He’s just a marvel.
“I’m very blessed, very privileged to be a part of this horse, a part of his development which gives me great pride.
“The Hayes boys, I rode for their father, their uncle, their grandfather and what they’re doing with these equine stars is amazing.”
Ben Hayes paid tribute to Williams – and of course to Mr Brightside, now a 20-time winner from 46 starts.
He cheekily called the durable gelding “technically” an 11-time Group 1 winner, having also taken Melbourne’s All-Star Mile (1600m) in 2023, two years before it achieved top-tier status, while also highlighting the horse’s 11 Group 1 placings.
“It turned out beautifully. It was a ten-out-of-ten ride,” Hayes said. “Tactically, he got an easy time early and because he got an easy time, they couldn’t catch him, a champion like him.
“To win three Makybe Divas and make it ten Group 1s, he’s an amazing horse and we’re so lucky to have him.”
“We thought he had gone the right way. He paraded beautifully, it was typical Mr B. His coat has come on, but the good thing is, he’s got improvement to come and we’re going to have fun placing him at his next couple of starts.
“I’m so proud of him and for him to come back and win, to show how good he is, makes us so proud. For JD and Will and I, he’s the most special horse we’ve ever had.
“He’s an absolute champion, no one can deny that now and maybe people will start respecting him, and tipping him.”
Hayes said a second bid for a Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) – in which Mr Brightside ran a 0.1-length second to the great Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in 2023 – was not out of the question.
But he indicated 1600-metre races would be more suitable. This could include the Feehan Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 26, or Randwick’s King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on October 18.
“He’s so good over a mile,” Hayes said. “[The Cox Plate] is still an option and I’ll have to talk to my brothers, and do what we believe is the best result for him.
“We’ll definitely consider it [the Feehan]. That’s probably the logical race, if not he might have a trial and go to the King Charles III.”
Mr Brightside’s win also capped a huge day for the stable, which also took the Bobbie Lewis Quality (Gr 2, 1200m) with Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel) and the Tontonan Stakes (Listed, 1400m) with Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt).
Jockey Damian Lane said Star Thoroughbreds’ Aeliana had run “super”.
“Travelled up great, just outsprinted by Mr Brightside, who obviously had it very easy and sprinted too sharp,” Lane said.
McDonald said of Via Sistina: “Very good run. Sit and sprint, she dashed well.”
Lilahjay died last year, aged 12. Her last foal is a yearling colt by Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact).