Bookie knocks Speed Gifted

Speed Gifted has been the big shortener ahead of Saturday's Group Two Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington with heavy overnight rain predicted in Melbourne.

The former European stayer, who has flattered to deceive since winning the Metropolitan Handicap in Sydney last October, has been supported in from $10 to $7 because of his record on rain-affected tracks and his perfect record at Flemington.

But one bookie in particular believes the money for the lightly raced seven year old is misguided, saying he feels that the step up to weight for age will find him out.

Betstar's Alan Eskander thinks that Speed Gifted's wet track form is not as good as it might appear.

"We've already wound him in from his opening quote of $10 to $7. Everyone reckons he's a superior mudrunner because he won the Metropolitan on a bog track but remember he only carried 53kgs that day and the class of horse he beat doesn't compare to what he'll meet tomorrow," he said.

"In the autumn, he flopped both times in his two runs on slow tracks yet in between those runs he was placed third on a dead track against similar opposition. He's won his only two starts at Flemington but both times on a Good 3 so I'm not convinced he's the 'muddy' that most people seem to think."

Vigor and Danleigh are expected to fight it out for favouritism in the race, with Heart of Dreams and Monaco Consul also afforded chances.