Australian Cup 2005 record still unbeaten 20 years later

After Makybe Diva had secured her second Melbourne Cup victory in 2004 she undertook an evolution of sorts. That transition was from handicapper to weight-for-age performer. A change of stable from David Hall to Lee Freedman brought with it a change of environment, and this seemed to work wonders. While always a threat in weight-for-age races, she didn’t quite ‘seal the deal’, so to speak, and appeared better suited in the staying handicap races where weight would be determined by ability, not age, sex and distance.

So when Makybe Diva took on a crack weight-for-age field at Flemington in the 2005 Australian Cup (G1), it was a mild surprise that she would win the race.

But when she smashed the course record in a time of 1:58.73, you realised this horse had stepped up another notch or two.

There have been many top performers run over 2000 metres at Flemington in the modern era, the likes of Bonecrusher, Vo Rogue, Northerly, Sunline and Let’s Elope, but none have come near her race time recorded this day. Makybe Diva would prove she was no one-hit wonder at weight-for-age by securing The BMW (G1) at Rosehill at her next start and the W.S. Cox Plate (G1) later in the year, one start before her career-defining third Melbourne Cup.  

LEGENDARY FEATS

• 3 consecutive Melbourne Cups
• 1st mare to win the Melbourne and Sydney Cups in the same season
• 15 Group 1 victories, breaking Kingston Town's record