Makybe Diva
Makybe Diva is one of the finest racehorses to have graced Flemington racecourse during the long history of the Melbourne Cup. The holder of several Australian thoroughbred racing records, Makybe Diva is best known for being the Melbourne Cup champion to have won the Melbourne Cup on three occasions.
Makybe Diva was foaled in England by Tugela, a horse owned by tuna fisherman Tony Santic. The foal was named after five of Santic’s employees by combining the first two letters of each of their names (Maureen, Kylie, Belinda, Diane and Vanessa).
Early Career
Makybe Diva was shipped to Australia 6 months after her first birthday and put in the care of trainer David Hall. Maykbe Diva displayed a precocious talent and finished her first race in fourth place, before claiming victory in only her second race.
In her first year of racing Makybe Diva went from strength to strength, moving rapidly through the different classes of racing until she had achieved a Group 2 win at the Queen Elizabeth stakes.
Melbourne Cup Success
Her second season of racing started slowly as Makybe Diva struggled to win races, and for several months it seemed as if her excellent debut had been nothing more than a false dawn. However, her career regained momentum once she was paired with jockey Glen Boss.
Following a second place finish at one of the most important Melbourne Cup preliminaries, the Caulfield Cup, Makybe Diva triumphed at the 2003 Melbourne Cup after trailing the field for much of the race.
The rest of the 2003 season proved equally successful for Makybe Diva, as she won the Sydney Cup to become the first ever mare to win the Melbourne/Sydney Cup double.
In 2004 Maykbe Diva picked up her second Melbourne Cup despite being confronted by torrential rain and a powerful field. In doing so she became the first mare to pick up two Melbourne Cup titles. Following a victory at the Australian Cup, the Melbourne Cup Champion was transferred to a new trainer.
In November 2005 Makybe Diva became the first Melbourne Cup champion to win the Melbourne Cup three times. That same year she became the highest stakes winner in Australian racing history. Following her record breaking performance Makybe Diva was sent for breeding at the Coolmore Stud. She was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2006.
