Racing: Aegon facing superstar horses in $1 million Makybe Diva Stakes

Aegon takes on some of Australia's best in the Makybe Diva on Saturday at Flemington. Photo / Getty Images

It wasn't that long ago stablemates Aegon and Frontman appeared to be on a collision course but on Saturday they find themselves in different feature races.

Frontman will resume his promising career poorly off in the ratings for the $40,000 open handicap at Te Rapa, but less than three hours later Aegon races for 25 times that stake against a Cox Plate winner and the Melbourne Cup favourite in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

Starting this year, the pair trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman were seen as potentially derby horses, which ultimately Aegon proved too brilliant for, but Frontman went on to finish third in the New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie.

That placing has proven costly as Frontman is now carries a rating of 84, 20 points earned from his derby placings, meaning while he has won only one race, he is straight into open class for his resumption.

"It doesn't make it easy on him, that is for sure," said Forsman of Frontman's rating.

"Not only is he only a one-win horse but he is very lightly raced and now he is straight into open class."

Frontman goes into his comeback race with only one trial under his belt and questions over what distance will prove his soft spot.

"We don't really know what type of horse he is going to develop into," admitted Forsman.

"He has the natural ability for these type of races but could also get Cups distances or even be a weight-for-age horse.

"He is a hard one to predict."

The stable also have Marroni, who has won four races and placed in an Easter Handicap, in the same 1400m and Forsman is hoping he has a short memory.

"The last time he came here [Te Rapa] he had a nasty fall so let's hope he has forgotten about that because he is a horse who has kept getting better his whole career."

Te Rapa being close to home should allow Forsman to get home in plenty of time to see Aegon, of whom he also shares in the ownership, take on some of Australia's best in the Makybe Diva.

Aegon earned his shot at the race with a luckless fourth in the Memsie last start and should be suited by the step up to 1600m, but meets some serious horses in Mo'unga, Tofane, Inspirational Girl, Cox Plate and Tancred winner Sir Dragonet, and Incentivise, who is favourite for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

"Obviously it is a very good field but you have to expect that racing for A$1 million and he deserves his crack at it," said Forsman.

"He has a run under his belt and most importantly a good draw [barrier four] this week which hopefully will allow him to sit handy to the speed without having to do too much work.

"So he gets his chance to do something and we are really happy with how he has come on since the Memsie, but a lot of it might depend this week on what sort of run he gets."

Aegon is also on a rare two-week back-up after usually having his races more spaced but that could be negated by the fact he didn't have a hard run in the Memsie.

He is booked to return to Cambridge next Wednesday but if he was to excel on Saturday he could stay in Australia to prepare for his main aim of this campaign, the A$7.5m Golden Eagle at Rosehill on October 30.