Three years ago, the Victoria Racing Club changed the name of its opening spring feature to honour the most prolific Melbourne Cup winner of all time. 

The event that was won by champions including Light Fingers, Tobin Bronze, Lord, Rain Lover, Dulcify and Northerly when known as the Craiglee Stakes became the Makybe Diva Stakes. 

But, ironically, the 1600-metre Group 2 hasn't been much of a guide to Flemington's signature event in recent years. 

Since Jeune, in 1994, became the fourth horse in six years to win the Melbourne Cup after contesting the Makybe Diva - following Tawriffic, Kingston Rule and Subzero - no Cup winner has come via that race. 

In fact, Count Chivas, who led the field home behind Saintly in 1996, and Zazzman, third in Makybe Diva's middle Cup, are the only horses in the past 16 years to place in the Cup after contesting in the Makybe Diva. 

That's bad news for Shocking's Melbourne Cup defence with the Mark Kavanagh-trained five-year-old to continue his push towards back-to-back Cups this weekend. 

He returns to his home track, where he has won three races from as many attempts, following a promising seventh in last month's Liston Stakes. 

If Kavanagh is aware of the Makybe Diva hoodoo, he wasn't showing any concern earlier in the week when he suggested the Street Cry gelding was going at least as well as last year. 

"I think he's in excellent order," Kavanagh said on TVN. "He's got a bit more weight going into the Cups but he's as good, if not in front of where he was last year. 

"He was good (first up), he's improved a bit since then, but he'll probably want one or two more runs before we see him at his best. But he has got an imposing Flemington record, so he should run pretty good." 

Shocking, who was yesterday lumped with 57kg for his Melbourne Cup defence, is one of a host of Cup contenders engaged in the Makybe Diva. 

Monaco Consul, Rebel Raider, Vigor, Alandi and Speed Gifted are those high up on Cup betting charts out to break the hoodoo. 

What Shocking, Monaco Consul and Vigor have in their favour this weekend, however, is that they head to the Makybe Diva via the Liston Stakes. 

The 1400m Caulfield feature has supplied 12 of the past 17 Makybe Diva winners, including three of the past four. 

Zavite, Heart Of Dreams, C'est La Guerre, Mourayan and Sterling Prince are the others who contested the Liston that are in line to enhance that record this year. 

The odds of one of Saturday's runners winning the Cox Plate are slim with Northerly the only horse in the past 20 years to win the Cox Plate after contesting the Makybe Diva, but there's a much better chance of the Caulfield Cup winner being at Flemington this weekend. 

While no Caulfield Cup winner has contested the Makybe Diva since Elvstroem in 2004, four of the previous five Caulfield Cup winners - Sky Heights, Diatribe, Northerly and Mummify - also ran in the Makybe Diva. 

And while the Makybe Diva hasn't been a good guide to the past five Caulfield Cups, Flemington's first spring meeting has hosted two of the past five winners. 

Tawqeet ran in the 1700m handicap en route to his 2006 success and the following year Master O'Reilly - who will contest this year's Makybe Diva - romped home in the 2000m event. 

Harris Tweed, Fanjura (emergency for the Makybe Diva) and Rundle are taking the Tawqeet path to the Caulfield Cup, while Gorky Park heads the list of those out to follow in the footsteps of Master O'Reilly. 

Saturday's Let's Elope Stakes (1400m) could also be an important form reference with Bart Cummings' Queensland Derby winner Dariana to launch her spring campaign in the 1400m race for mares. 

(Brad Bishop is an award-winning writer in both equine codes. He has also worked in the media unit at both Racing Victoria Ltd and Harness Racing Victoria).