Makybe
Diva (foaled 1999 in Great Britain) is the first Thoroughbred
to win the prestigious Melbourne Cup three times: in 2003
and 2004 and again in 2005 when she also won the Cox Plate.
Sired by Desert King to dam Tugela, Makybe Diva is the highest
stakes-earner in Australasian horse-racing history, with
winnings of AU$14,526,685 when she retired on 1 November
2005.
Makybe Diva is one of only five horses to have won the
Cup more than once in the 145 year history of the event.
The others are Archer in 1861 and 1862, Peter Pan in 1932
and 1934, Rain Lover in 1968 and 1969 and Think Big in
1974 and 1975.
Makybe Diva is owned by South Australian tuna fisherman
Tony Santic, who named her after the first two letters
in five of his employees' names (Maureen, Kylie, Belinda,
Diane and Vanessa). The nature of her performances is
emphasised by the fact that she is the only mare among
the list of multiple winners, and is among only 11 mares,
and three fillies to have won the cup in its history.
Originally trained by David Hall, Makybe Diva made her
racetrack debut in July 2002 as a three-year-old in a
maiden race at Benalla in Victoria, and finished fourth.
At her next start in August, as a four-year-old, Makybe
Diva won her maiden race before moving through the classes,
winning two events in a row. She had her first metropolitan
start when winning a fillies and mares handicap over 2,000
metres (6,562 ft) at Flemington. She followed with wins
over the fields in the Listed Werribee Cup and Group 2
VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Makybe Diva returned briefly
in the autumn for two showings over short distance races.
But owner Tony Santic and trainer David Hall had other
plans in mind for the spring.
Makybe Diva resumed racing in the spring over 1,400 metres
, but while being reasonably competitive, she did not
win any major races. Second up at her next start in the
Group 3 Stock Stakes she came from behind to finish fourth,
beaten by just over two lengths. She then started 5-1
equal favourite in the Group 2 Turnbull Stakes, where
she again began in the back of the field, before finishing
fourth, beaten by only one length.
After finishing as a 14-1 outsider in the Caulfield Cup,
she began her partnership with Sydney jockey Glen Boss.
Coming from near last with 800 metres to go in the 2,400
metres race, she finished fourth behind the Lee Freedman
trained Mummify. The first Tuesday in November 2003 was
her first Melbourne Cup victory. Starting as an $8 second
favourite, Makybe Diva raced at the back of the field
until the finishing straight, where jockey Boss picked
his way through the field to win by one and a half lengths.
In the autumn of 2004, she resumed over 1,400 metres with
59.5 kilograms, followed by a third place finish in the
Group 3 Carlyon Cup. Following this, she was blocked when
making a winning run in the Australian Cup before being
taken to Sydney, where she placed third in the Ranvet
Stakes and The
BMW Stakes, both Group 1 races. The Group 1 Sydney
Cup over 3,200 metres was to be her final run for the
campaign. Sent out as a $3.50 second favourite, she began
off the pace, but charged HOME to record a win by half
a length, becoming the first mare to ever win the Sydney
Cup / Melbourne Cup double in the same season, and only
the fourth horse to have accomplished the double win.
After the 2003-2004 season, trainer David Hall left to
train in Hong Kong, and Makybe Diva was transferred to
trainer Lee Freedman, generally regarded as one of Australia's
top trainers.
Her campaign in the spring of 2004, was aimed at winning
the Melbourne Cup for a second time. It followed the pattern
of her previous cup winning campaign, even though she
appeared to be racing better than before. A close second
in the Group 2 John F Feehan Stakes over 1,600 metres
at Moonee Valley, showed her competitiveness in shorter
races. In the 2004 Caulfield Cup Makybe Diva drew barrier
18 and settled at the back of the field. She charged home
late to be narrowly defeated by arch rival Elvstroem who
controlled the race from the outset leading all the way.
Makybe Diva was sent out a $3.60 favourite, and won the
2004 Melbourne Cup. In driving rain, the mare defeated
a field featuring multiple Irish St. Leger winner Vinnie
Roe, Caulfield Cup winners Mummify and Elvstroem, Mamool
from the Godolphin stable, as well as the 2002 Melbourne
Cup winner Media Puzzle.
Resuming racing in February, Makybe Diva put in close
finishes behind Elvstroem in both the C F Orr Stakes and
St George Stakes, at Caulfield. On March 12, she won the
Australian Cup, a weight for age event over 2,000 metres,
and in the process broke the Australian record and setting
an unofficial world record for 2,000 metres. She proceeded
to win Sydney's most important WFA race, The BMW Stakes,
with a last-to-first burst. In April and May, she raced
in Japan, where she failed in two starts, the latter of
which was over 3,200 metres (10,499 ft) in the Group One
Tenno Sho (Emperor's Cup).
Makybe Diva was named Australian Champion Racehorse of
the Year for the 2004/05 season. Along with this she was
also named Australian Champion Stayer and Australian Champion
Filly and Mare.
A three quarter brother to Makybe Diva, by Redoute's Choice,
was sold in April 2005 for an Australian record price
of $2.5 million. Subsequently named Musket, the colt won
his debut at Canterbury in August 2006.
Resuming racing in August 2005, Makybe Diva won the Group
2 Memsie Stakes first up, before being beaten by a nose
in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley. Two
weeks later, with a run down the outside of the field
Makybe Diva won the Turnbull Stakes over 2000m at Flemington.
The mare further enhanced her reputation despite being
eight horses wide on the HOME turn, with a comfortable
victory in the 2005 Cox Plate subsequently beating 2006
winner Fields Of Omagh.
On 1 November 2005, Makybe Diva created history in winning
a record third Melbourne Cup. Immediately after the race
trainer Lee Freedman said;
“ Go find the smallest child on this course, and
there will be the only example of a person who will live
long enough to see that again. ”
Makybe
Diva carried 58 kg during the record third Melbourne Cup,
2.5 kg above the standard weight-for-age scale. The last
horse to carry more than weight-for-age and win was Rain
Lover, who was 2 kg over when he won his second cup in
1969, with 60.5 kg. Makybe Diva, who broke her own weight-carrying
record for a mare of 55.5 kg, which she set in 2004, was
the highest-weighted winner of the cup since Think Big
won his second Melbourne Cup with 58.5 kg in 1975. During
the presentation of the Melbourne Cup, owner Tony Santic
announced that Makybe Diva would "retire from racing
as of today".
At the end of the 2005 - 2006 season Makybe Diva was named
Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year for the second
time, becoming just the third horse to win that accolade
more than once. She was also named Australian Champion
Stayer, winning this award for the third consecutive year
as well as Australian Champion Middle Distance Racehorse.
Makybe
Diva (foaled 1999 in Great Britain) is the first Thoroughbred
to win the prestigious Melbourne Cup three times: in 2003
and 2004 and again in 2005 when she also won the Cox Plate.
