and all the chores have been done. Lenny and Jake, who have been gelded are fine and are looking for their lunch. With all horses fed and watered, its time to have an afternoon to ourselves to take in the splendour and glamour of the Melbourne Racing Carnival (thank God for Channel 7!). After a nice meal and a glass of wine, we settled in to watch some of the races, and of course THE race that stops our nation in it's tracks.
I had put my bet on "the mare" weeks ago, so I was content and confident (why didnt I take a Cox Plate all up Melbourne Cup double?) and was waiting in awe to see her. She's not a pretty mare, but she is fit, can run the distance and would be ready to tackle the task at hand.
All morning the sms's were being ushered back and forth to family and friends, "Go The Girl" my tip would say, nothing more nor less. I had no doubt in my mind that it was going to be her day today.
I didnt realise how emotionally connected I felt as the tears fell down my cheeks after she had won. Not only did she run the race of her life for her owners, but she did it for everyone as she had become "the people's mare".
History had been made and we had been a part of it!
People say that Iam just a softie, and my tears are pretty much stock standard when it comes to horses or animals in general, however history will show that Makybe Diva to be the greatest mare of all time. Please welcome Evan to give us a different perspective on this great mare:-
It was the final day of the Flemington spring carnival in November 2002. They call it Stakes day, after the Group 1 1600m run on the 4th day of the most important racing carnival in Australia.
The carnival had been highlighted by a win in the prestigious Melbourne Cup, by an overseas visitor named Media Puzzle. Media Puzzle, trained in Ireland, travelled 10,000km, had been ridden to victory by local jockey Damian Oliver, whose brother had tragically been killed in a barrier trail accident, less than 2 weeks prior to the big race. This was, at the time, the most memorable victory in Australias most historic race, the race that stops a nation. Damian dedicated this victory to his brother, and an entire nation wept as Damian saluted to the sky as he crossed the finishing line well in front of the rest of the field. No one thought a nation so young, could ever witness a moment so moving ever again.
On Stakes day 2002, a career came to notice, and little did the Australian public realise, that this career would not only usurp the deeds of Damian Oliver in the Melbourne Cup, 2002, but bring a nation in awe of a racehorse that was to become a national idol. On Stakes day in 2002, an unbeaten 4yo mare was set down to have her 6th race start. She had already won her first 5 starts, could she now win on such a major race day keep her racord in tact? Indeed she could, she won the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, at only her 6th race start, keeping her unbeaten record. An amazing effort for a 4yo mare in her first real preparation, to go from a meagre maiden win, to a Group 2 victory on one of the biggest days on the Austrlaian turf. This mare, on this day, stamped herself as something special. Little did we know how special.
Her name was Makybe Diva.
Today, 1 November 2005, 3 years later, Makybe Diva wrote her name into the history books. She has gone from being an unknown, to the most famous thoroughbred mare in Australias history. Makybe Diva has just won her third Melbourne Cup in a row. She had already won the Melbourne Cup in 2003 and 2004.
Please allow me to attempt to explain the magnitude of this feat.
Only 4 horses before her had ever won 2 Melbourne Cups. This is since the Cups inception in 1861, 144 years ago. No horse had ever won 3 Melbourne Cups, let alone, 3 in a row.
Only two horses before her, had won the W S Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup in the same year. They were Phar Lap and Saintly.
No horse had ever won the Australian Cup and the Melbourne Cup in the same year. Let alone winning the Cox Plate along the way. Makybe Diva achieved this in 2005.
No horse has won the Melbourne Cup and the Sydney Cup in the same year since Gallilee in 1966. Makybe Diva did it in 2003.
No mare has ever won the Melbourne Cup carrying 58kg or more. Makybe Diva did this in 2005.
Makybe Diva has now won 7 Group 1 races and over $14.5 million in prizemoney, no other Australian racehorse has won this amount of prizemoney. She has had 36 starts for 15 wins and 7 placings.
Today, 1 November 2005, Damian Olivers stirring victory in 2002 Melbourne Cup was surpassed. Makybe Diva brought a tear to our eyes as she dashed to the lead in Australias premier horse race, the Melbourne Cup. There were plenty who wanted to risk her today, but like a true champion, she proved them all wrong. And for the third straight year, she proved, she was the best there is.
And to the credit of her owners, she has been retired to stud at the height of her illustrious career. No other mare will ever bring Australians to their feet, the way Makybe Diva did today. Whether you backed her or not, we stood and cheered as one.
The champion tag is far to freely used in horse racing today. We have only had a handful. Phar Lap, Bernborough, Tulloch, Kingston Town. Today we added another to that list. A true blue champion.
MAKYBE DIVA
Helen & Evan.
I had put my bet on "the mare" weeks ago, so I was content and confident (why didnt I take a Cox Plate all up Melbourne Cup double?) and was waiting in awe to see her. She's not a pretty mare, but she is fit, can run the distance and would be ready to tackle the task at hand.
All morning the sms's were being ushered back and forth to family and friends, "Go The Girl" my tip would say, nothing more nor less. I had no doubt in my mind that it was going to be her day today.
I didnt realise how emotionally connected I felt as the tears fell down my cheeks after she had won. Not only did she run the race of her life for her owners, but she did it for everyone as she had become "the people's mare".
History had been made and we had been a part of it!
People say that Iam just a softie, and my tears are pretty much stock standard when it comes to horses or animals in general, however history will show that Makybe Diva to be the greatest mare of all time. Please welcome Evan to give us a different perspective on this great mare:-
It was the final day of the Flemington spring carnival in November 2002. They call it Stakes day, after the Group 1 1600m run on the 4th day of the most important racing carnival in Australia.
The carnival had been highlighted by a win in the prestigious Melbourne Cup, by an overseas visitor named Media Puzzle. Media Puzzle, trained in Ireland, travelled 10,000km, had been ridden to victory by local jockey Damian Oliver, whose brother had tragically been killed in a barrier trail accident, less than 2 weeks prior to the big race. This was, at the time, the most memorable victory in Australias most historic race, the race that stops a nation. Damian dedicated this victory to his brother, and an entire nation wept as Damian saluted to the sky as he crossed the finishing line well in front of the rest of the field. No one thought a nation so young, could ever witness a moment so moving ever again.
On Stakes day 2002, a career came to notice, and little did the Australian public realise, that this career would not only usurp the deeds of Damian Oliver in the Melbourne Cup, 2002, but bring a nation in awe of a racehorse that was to become a national idol. On Stakes day in 2002, an unbeaten 4yo mare was set down to have her 6th race start. She had already won her first 5 starts, could she now win on such a major race day keep her racord in tact? Indeed she could, she won the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, at only her 6th race start, keeping her unbeaten record. An amazing effort for a 4yo mare in her first real preparation, to go from a meagre maiden win, to a Group 2 victory on one of the biggest days on the Austrlaian turf. This mare, on this day, stamped herself as something special. Little did we know how special.
Her name was Makybe Diva.
Today, 1 November 2005, 3 years later, Makybe Diva wrote her name into the history books. She has gone from being an unknown, to the most famous thoroughbred mare in Australias history. Makybe Diva has just won her third Melbourne Cup in a row. She had already won the Melbourne Cup in 2003 and 2004.
Please allow me to attempt to explain the magnitude of this feat.
Only 4 horses before her had ever won 2 Melbourne Cups. This is since the Cups inception in 1861, 144 years ago. No horse had ever won 3 Melbourne Cups, let alone, 3 in a row.
Only two horses before her, had won the W S Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup in the same year. They were Phar Lap and Saintly.
No horse had ever won the Australian Cup and the Melbourne Cup in the same year. Let alone winning the Cox Plate along the way. Makybe Diva achieved this in 2005.
No horse has won the Melbourne Cup and the Sydney Cup in the same year since Gallilee in 1966. Makybe Diva did it in 2003.
No mare has ever won the Melbourne Cup carrying 58kg or more. Makybe Diva did this in 2005.
Makybe Diva has now won 7 Group 1 races and over $14.5 million in prizemoney, no other Australian racehorse has won this amount of prizemoney. She has had 36 starts for 15 wins and 7 placings.
Today, 1 November 2005, Damian Olivers stirring victory in 2002 Melbourne Cup was surpassed. Makybe Diva brought a tear to our eyes as she dashed to the lead in Australias premier horse race, the Melbourne Cup. There were plenty who wanted to risk her today, but like a true champion, she proved them all wrong. And for the third straight year, she proved, she was the best there is.
And to the credit of her owners, she has been retired to stud at the height of her illustrious career. No other mare will ever bring Australians to their feet, the way Makybe Diva did today. Whether you backed her or not, we stood and cheered as one.
The champion tag is far to freely used in horse racing today. We have only had a handful. Phar Lap, Bernborough, Tulloch, Kingston Town. Today we added another to that list. A true blue champion.
MAKYBE DIVA
Helen & Evan.
1 comment:
Yes, but I'm getting just a teensy, weensy bit sick of seeing replay after replay after replay. Then there's the antics of FIGJAM that get up my nose at the best of times. Want to hear my thoughts on the sunglasses guy?
I must, in all honesty, admit that I didn't think she would win but hoped that she would. I took her in trifectas and quinellas, but backed (here you may hear a heart-rending sob) Demerger and Railings.
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