Makybe Diva

Returning to scale with Glen Boss after winning the 2005 Australia Cup.

Makybe Diva
Sire:	Desert King
Dam:	Tugela
Damsire:	Riverman
Sex:	Mare
Foaled:	1999
Country:	GB
Colour:	Bay
Breeder:	Emily Krstina Pty Ltd
Owner:	Tony Santic
Trainer:	Lee Freedman/David Hall
Record:	36:15-4-3
Prizemoney:	dollar >AU$" target="_blank" >^*14,526,685
Major Wins
2003,2004,2005	Melbourne Cup
2005	Cox Plate
2005	The BMW
2005	Australian Cup
2005	C F Orr Stakes
2004	Sydney Cup
*Statistics correct as of July 6th 2006
**Retired

Makybe Diva is a British-bred racehorse that was taken to Australia where she became 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 dollar|AU$" target="_blank" >^*14,526,685 when she retired on 1 November 2005.

The achievements of "the Diva" are seen in context by the fact that only four other horses have won the Cup more than once in the 145 year history of the event - (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, Diana and Vanessa).

Prior to racing

The Makybe Diva story began in 1998 in England. Tony Santic's bloodstock agent John Foote purchased Tugela in foal to Desert King for 60,000 guineas at the December 1998 Tattersall's Sale. As usual with Santic's British-purchased horses, she was taken to Dick Fowlston's Britton House Stud in Somerset to board before being sent on to Australia. Tugela gave birth to a bay filly weighing 55 kg (121 pounds) at five minutes past midnight on 21 March 1999. The filly was offered for sale at the December 2000 Tattersall's sales but did not make the reserve. Called Makybe Diva, the filly remained at Britton House Stud until August 2000 when she and Tugela were shipped to Australia.

Season 2002-2003

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. She finished fourth, beaten 4.8 lengths. At her next start in August, as a four-year-old, Makybe Diva won her maiden race before moving quickly through the classes, winning two provincial events in a row. She had her first metropolitan start when winning a fillies and mares handicap over 2000 meters at Flemington. She followed with impressive wins over handy, but not outstanding, fields in the Listed Werribee Cup and Group 2 VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Makybe Diva returned briefly in the autumn for two unspectacular showings over short distance races. But owner Tony Santic and trainer David Hall had other plans in mind for the Spring.

Season 2003-2004 (Melbourne Cup 1)

Makybe Diva resumed racing in the spring over 1400m but while being reasonably competitive she did not make herself especially prominent. Second up at her next start in the Group 3 Stock Stakes the Diva stormed home from the tail of the field with an eyecatching run to finish fourth, beaten just over two lengths. She then started 5-1 equal favourite in the Group 2 Turnbull Stakes, where she again settled last before flashing home for fourth beaten, one length this time. Sent out a 14-1 outsider in the Caulfield Cup, she began her highly successful partnership with leading Sydney jockey Glen Boss. Coming from near last with 800 m to go in the 2400 m race, she hit the lead at the 400 m mark, but faded to finish a close fourth. The first Tuesday in November 2003 was to be her first Melbourne Cup victory. Starting 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 going away.

In the autumn the mare resumed over an unsuitable 1400 m with 59.5 kg and was beaten by 10 lengths, the worst defeat of her career. This was followed by a fast finishing third in the Group 3 Carlyon Cup. Following this she performed poorly in the Australian Cup before being taken to Sydney where her form improved with third placings in the Ranvet Stakes and The BMW, both Group 1 races. The Group 1 Sydney Cup over 3200m was to be her final run for the campaign. Sent out $3.50 second favourite, she settled off the pace and charged home, although not without competition. The previously unheralded Manawa King matched her stride for stride down the Randwick straight. Makybe managed to hold off Manawa by a neck, thereby becoming the first horse to ever win the Sydney Cup / Melbourne Cup double in the same season and only the fourth horse to do so.

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.

Season 2004-2005 (Melbourne Cup 2)

Her campaign in Spring 2004, to try to win the Melbourne Cup for a second time, followed the familiar pattern of her previous cup winning campaign, although she appeared to be racing better than ever. A close second in the Group 2 John F Feehan Stakes over 1600 m at Moonee Valley underlined her competitiveness in shorter races. Despite finishing second in the Caulfield Cup, the quality of her run was such that most of the media reports after the race focused on her, rather than the victor. Drawing barrier 18, Makybe Diva sat at the very back of the field, and charged home in her typical style to be narrowly defeated by the horse that led all the way to win Elvstroem.

Makybe Diva's victory in the 2004 Melbourne Cup was remarkable for its ease. She was sent out a 5-2 favourite, and won the race as the odds said she would. In driving rain the mare defeated one of the strongest Melbourne Cup fields in years, featuring multiple Irish St. Leger winner Vinnie Roe, Caulfield Cup winners Mummify and Elvstroem, highly regarded European stayer Mamool from the Godolphin stable, as well as the 2002 Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle. By her victory on the rain affected Flemington track, Makybe Diva stamped herself as the champion stayer of the modern era.

Resuming racing in February, Makybe Diva put in close runs 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 2000 m, in the process breaking the Australian record and setting an unofficial world record for 2000 m on turf. She proceeded to take Sydney's most important WFA race, The BMW, with a sensational last-to-first burst. In April and May Makybe Diva raced in Japan, where she failed in two starts, the latter of which was over 3200 m in the Group One Tenno Sho (Emperor's Cup).

The World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Conference covering the 2004/5 season was held in Singapore in July 2005. Makybe Diva was selected Top Ranked Long-Distance Performer and The Top Ranked Filly or Mare – Turf. She received a rating of 119 - the highest rated horse in the world received 123.

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 was sold in April 2005 for an Australian record price of $1.59 million dollars, he has subsequently been named Musket.

Season 2005-2006 (Melbourne Cup 3)

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 blistering run down the outside of the field Makybe Diva scored a brilliant win in the Turnbull Stakes over 2000 m at Flemington. The mare further enhanced her reputation as one of Australia’s greatest turf icons with a comfortable victory in the 2005 Cox Plate, despite being seven horses wide on the home turn.

On 1 November 2005, Makybe Diva won a record third Melbourne cup, ahead of On A Jeune and Xcellent. Immediately after the race trainer Lee Freedman said of the achievement, "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." During the presentation of the Melbourne Cup, owner Tony Santic announced that Makybe Diva would "retire from racing as of today".

Makybe Diva carried 58 kg during that record third Melbourne Cup, 2 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. Significantly Makybe Diva, who smashed 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.

After the race some trainers and bookies complained that the track had been doctored to suit Makybe Diva. Lee Freedman had indicated before the race that she would not start if the track was too firm. Two days before the race the track was extensively watered by course officials. Rival trainers Gai Waterhouse and John Hawkes criticised the move, with Waterhouse calling it, "a disgrace" and Hawkes commenting, "I thought it was the Melbourne Cup not the Makybe Cup." Bookies were also unhappy as they lost heavily when the strong favourite came in. However these criticisms ignored the fact that it is the Victorian Racing Club's policy to water tracks to avoid racing on overly-hard surfaces.

After Racing

On 4 July 2006, Makybe Diva was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame

Race Record

**2001-02 Season as a Three Year Old**
Result	Date	Race	Venue	Distance	Weight (kg)	Time	Jockey	Winner/2nd
4th	29/7/2002	3yo Maiden	Benalla	1200m	54.5	1:13.15	F. Alesci	Blues Explosion 1st

**2002-03 Season as a Four Year Old**
Result	Date	Race	Venue	Distance	Weight (kg)	Time	Jockey	Winner/2nd
Won	13/08/2002	Maiden	Wangaratta	1600m	55	1:41.70	V. Hall	Sing Us a Tune 2nd
Won	3/9/2002	Class 1	Sale	1700m	55	1:43.97	V. Hall	Zanisa 2nd
Won	17/9/2002	Class 3	Ballarat	2000m	54.5	2:07.15	V. Hall	Our Fireman Sam 2nd
Won	3/10/2002	F & M Handicap	Flemington	2000m	52	2:02.31	B.Prebble	Little Miss Quick 2nd
Won	30/10/2002	Werribee Cup	Werribee	2000m	51.5	2:03.24	L. Currie	Aquiver 2nd
Won	9/11/2002	Queen Elizabeth Stakes	Flemington	2500m	52	2:35.78	L. Currie	Spirit of Westbury 2nd
8th	5/4/2003	Open Handicap	Caulfield	1400m	55.5	1:22.52	V. Hall	Karamazou 1st
6th	25/4/2003	Auckland RC Hcp.	Flemington	1600m	56.5	1:37.10	V. Hall	Old Man 1st

**2003-04 Season as a Five Year Old**
Result	Date	Race	Venue	Distance	Weight (kg)	Time	Jockey	Winner/2nd
4th	30/08/2003	Noel Rundle Welter	Caulfield	1400m	58.5	1:25.32	L. Currie	C'Est Le Reve 1st
4th	13/09/2003	W H Stock Stakes	Moonee Valley	1600m	55.5	1:36.81	S. Arnold	Sunday Joy 1st
4th	4/10/2003	Turnbull Stakes	Flemington	2000m	56.5	2:04.06	L. Currie	Studebaker 1st
4th	18/10/2003	Caulfield Cup	Caulfield	2400m	51.5	2:25.98	G. Boss	Mummify 1st
Won	4/11/2003	Melbourne Cup	Flemington	3200m	51	3:19.90	G. Boss	She's Archie 2nd
7th	14/2/2004	Chester Manifold Stakes	Flemington	1400m	59.5	1:21.12	V. Hall	Mr Murphy 1st
3rd	28/2/2004	Carlyon cup	Caulfield	1600m	56.5	1:36.24	G. Boss	La Sirenuse 1st
6th	8/3/2004	Australian Cup	Flemington	2000m	55.5	2:01.67	G. Boss	Lonhro 1st
3rd	20/3/2004	Ranvet Stakes	Rosehill	2000m	55.5	2:03.22	G. Boss	Sound Action 1st
3rd	3/4/2004	The BMW	Rosehill	2400m	55.5	2:25.78	G. Boss	Grand Zulu 1st
Won	17/4/2004	Sydney Cup	Randwick	3200m	55.5	3:21.21	G. Boss	Manawa King 2nd

**2004-05 Season as a Six Year Old**
Result	Date	Race	Venue	Distance	Weight (kg)	Time	Jockey	Winner/2nd
4th	28/08/2004	Memsie Stakes	Caulfield	1400m	55.5	1:23.02	L. CurrieS	Regal Roller 1st
2nd	11/09/2004	J F Feehan Stakes	Moonee Valley	1600m	55.5	1:42.50	L. Currie	Delzao 1st
7th	2/10/2004	Turnbull Stakes	Flemington	2000m	56.5	2:00.46	D. Oliver	Elvstroem 1st
2nd	16/10/2004	Caulfield Cup	Caulfield	2400m	55.5	2:31.37	G. Boss	Elvstroem 1st
Won	2/11/2004	Melbourne Cup	Flemington	3200m	55.5	3:28.55	G. Boss	Vinnie Roe 2nd
7th	12/2/2005	C F Orr Stakes	Caulfield	1400m	55.5	1:22.85	S. King	Elvstroem 1st
2nd	26/2/2005	St George Stakes	Caulfield	1800m	56.5	1:49.56	G. Boss	Elvstroem 1st
Won	12/3/2005	Australian Cup	Flemington	2000m	55.5	1:58.73	G. Boss	Winning Belle 2nd
Won	19/3/2005	The BMW	Rosehill	2400m	55.5	2:26.99	G. Boss	Grand Armee 2nd
7th	10/4/2005	April Stakes	Nakayama	2000m	59	2:00.1	G. Boss	Suzuno March 1st
7th	1/5/2005	Tenno Sho	Kyoto	3200m	56	3:16.5	G. Boss	Suzuko Mambo 1st

**2005-06 Season as a Seven Year Old.**
Result	Date	Race	Venue	Distance	Weight (kg)	Time	Jockey	Winner/2nd
Won	27/08/2005	Memsie Stakes	Caulfield	1400m	55.5	1:26.75	S. King	Barely a Moment 2nd
2nd	10/09/2005	J F Feehan Stakes	Moonee Valley	1600m	55.5	1:37.64	G. Boss	Lad of the Manor 1st
Won	1/10/2005	Turnbull Stakes	Flemington	2000m	56.5	2:01.57	G. Boss	Lad of the Manor 2nd
Won	22/10/2005	Cox Plate	Moonee Valley	2040m	55.5	2:09.27	G. Boss	Lotteria 2nd
Won	1/11/2005	Melbourne Cup	Flemington	3200m	58	3:19.79	G. Boss	On a Jeune 2nd

Pedigree

マカイビーディーヴァ

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