Any horse winning the prestigious Melbourne Cup is an amazing feat of strength, power and stamina - two is incredible, one horse winning it three times, impossible

The renowned Australian thoroughbred mare, Makybe Diva (Desert King), a two-time Australian Horse of the Year, achieved phenomenal success during her racing career, with an impressive record of 15 victories and over $14 million earnings in prize money. The champion mare is celebrated for her three remarkable triumphs in the Melbourne Cup - a feat that is likely to never be repeated. However, her accomplishments extended well beyond distance staying races, as she also claimed major victories in distinguished events such as the WS Cox Plate (2000m) and Australian Cup (2000m), demonstrating her versatility and dominant style. As a broodmare, she has consistently transmitted her stamina to her offspring, delivering eight foals to the races. Six have emerged as winners, and notably, none of them have achieved success in distances shorter than 1600 metres. These endurance traits highlight the enduring legacy of her genetic influence on her progeny.

Tony Santic, purchased an imported UK horse called Tugela, (Riverman) already in foal, at the Tattersalls' bloodstock sales in late 1998. Few people could have anticipated the greatness this as yet unborn foal would achieve. Tugela herself had champion connections in her own bloodline with Derby winners and thoroughbred sires featuring strongly, and the sire of this foal being one, Desert King (Danehill) who had won both the Irish Sweeps Derby and the Irish 2000 Guineas. With Danzig and Nureyev in the pedigree it's no wonder he sired 13 stakes winners, with those stunning qualities evident in this mare. The name for this soon-to-be legend of the track was arrived at in a most unusual way. Santic rather quirkily decided he would create her name by taking the first two letters of each of his employees names, which formed, M.A.K.Y.B.E. Hence the name Makybe Diva and the horse was then placed with the David Hall stables in Melbourne.

Her early career on the track gave little indication of the glory to come, indeed, some had written her off as an also-ran by the end of her first season on the track. After a disappointing effort at Benalla, the mare was held over until the next season as a 4yo. Her maiden win was at Wangaratta over 1600m, then on to Sale for a Class 1 win over 1700m. Over the next three months between September and November, win after win was the order of the day as the Diva appeared to be invincible. The ascent of Makybe Diva to the pinnacle of Australian racing begun with rather unassuming victories on quiet provincial tracks, but culminated in triumphs at the 2002 Listed Werribee Cup (2000m) and the Gr.2 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick. Subsequently, following a commendable fourth-place finish to Northerly in the Caulfield Cup, a strategic decision was made to hold over the mare her until the Melbourne Cup (3200m), where she emerged as the decisive victor. The horse then attacked Sydney for the 2004 autumn carnival, where she achieved victory in the Sydney Cup (3200m), becoming the first equine since Galilee in 1966-67 to accomplish the feat of winning both the Melbourne and Sydney Cups within the same season.

Trainer David Hall departed to Hong Kong so the horse was transferred to the Lee Freedman stable for Makybe Diva's 2004 spring campaign, which was distinguished by her narrow half-head defeat to Elvstroem in the Caulfield Cup and the dramatic triumph of her second Melbourne Cup victory. In doing so, she became the fifth horse to win two Melbourne Cups, the fourth horse to win two consecutive Melbourne Cups, and the first mare to accomplish this feat. 2005 was a series of triumphs for Makybe Diva and her finest season, with victories in multiple Group one blue ribbon events - Australian Cup, BMW Stakes, Memsie Stakes, Turnbull Stakes, Cox Plate, and her record-breaking third Melbourne Cup. Subsequently, world thoroughbred rankings recognised her as the best filly/mare in the world and the best horse of any sex beyond 2700m. She is not only considered one of the greatest stayers of her generation, but as a genuine, all-time champion yet to be surpassed.

MELBOURNE CUP #1

With Glenn Boss in the saddle Makybe Diva lined up to face in her first Melbourne Cup. Starting as an 8/1 second favourite she showed little interest in the early stages of the race and as the field turned into the home straight, she lay dawdling at the rear of the field. And then it was almost as if Boss had lit a fire behind her, as she scorched and danced her way to the front, winning with a length and a half to spare. This first Melbourne Cup victory over 3200 metres represented the most convincing win of her career to date, and certainly emphasised her ability as a stayer rather than a miler.

MELBOURNE CUP #2

And so on to her 2nd attempt at the great race on November 2nd 2004 at a wet Flemington. Despite a star-studded field including her nemesis, Elvstroem, an Irish St.Leger winner in Vinnie Roe and the 2002 winner of the Cup, Media Puzzle, Makybe Diva once again sat back and bided her time. As a wall of horses attacked from the turn, Zazzman drove to the front at the 300m mark as Vinnie Roe and Elvstroem came with him. Glenn Boss in brilliant calmness of mind saved ground and tracked along the inside only a couple metres off the rail, finding ample space and reasonable ground to slide through. By the time she reached the clock tower the mighty mare was wound right up and powered to the line, winning comfortably.

MELBOURNE CUP #3

As was customary for the Diva, she settled at the rear of the field and only began to progress at the home turn in the 2005 Cup. Boss angled the mare out behind the centre of pack and carved through a large gap that had opened up, hitting the front some 300 metres from home. This time he needed to drive her hard to the post with the mare responding well against Vinnie Roe. Her victory in the end was described as “comfortable” with the winning margin being a length and a quarter. But Makybe Diva had achieved the unimaginable. Perhaps the great mare had just accomplished the impossible. Greg Miles' powerful commentary on the race conveyed the significance of the moment. As she approached the final stretch, he proclaimed her as "the champion," and as she crossed the finish line, he uttered the unforgettable phrase, "the champion becomes a legend!"

RACE RECORD - 36: 15- 4-3

EARNINGS - A$14,526,685

VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2002)

Melbourne Cup (2003, 2004, 2005)

Sydney Cup (2004)

Australian Cup (2005)

The BMW Stakes (2005)

Memsie Stakes (2005)

Turnbull Stakes (2005)

W. S. Cox Plate (2005)

Australian Racehorse of the Year (2005, 2006)

Australian Champion Stayer (2004, 2005, 2006)

Australian Champion Filly and Mare (2005)

Australian Middle Distance Champion (2006)

Timeform rating: 129

SA Thoroughbred Breeders Horse of the Year (2004, 2005), Australian Racing Hall of Fame (2006)