The Melbourne Cup is the one race on the Australian calendar that means the most to Lloyd and Nick Williams.

And with that thought the long-range plans for Saturday's Flemington winner Divan is next year's famous race.

A son of Zabeel and an emerging stayer, Divan was having just his seventh start in the Starlight Children's Foundation Plate (2000m), landing his most important victory.

Ridden by Damien Oliver, Divan ($2.90 fav) scored by a length from Velox ($4) with Have Plenty ($12) a head away third.

"Racing is about dreaming and there's nothing we'd love to do more than to have this horse in the Melbourne Cup next year," Nick Williams said.

"He's a horse we're really excited about.

"He ran above all expectations in the Bendigo Cup when he was 27 rating points out of the handicap and ran a three-quarter length second to Gai's horse The Offer.

Williams says Divan's spring campaign is all about getting experience before aiming him towards the bigger races in the autumn and next spring.

He also praised the ride of Oliver who didn't panic when locked away just before the home turn.

"I was worried whether Ollie would get out or not but you put the best on and they manage do to their best," Williams said.

Oliver said Divan's victory was full of merit and he thought he had a nice future ahead of him as a stayer.

"The horse is still pretty raw and inexperienced," Oliver said.

"I thought the occasion of the day got to him a little bit."