Makybe Diva Still a Legend

News that revered Cups legend Makybe Diva will be paraded at Flemington on September 16 as the countdown begins towards the 20th anniversary of her first of three-straight historic Melbourne Cup victories got us thinking about her career at stud and whether her daughters may hold promise for the future.

Aged 25, Makybe Diva, last paraded at Flemington in 2020 on Melbourne Cup day without the presence of racing fans, due to Covid restrictions at that time, so she is sure to appreciate a bigger turnout when she returns to coincide with the running of the $750,000 Group I VRC Makybe Diva Stakes.

A two time Australian Horse of the Year that won 15 races and over $14million in prizemoney, the Tony Santic homebred mare is best remembered for her trio of Melbourne Cup wins, but her Cox Plate and Australian Cup wins marked her as far more than just a long distance stayer.

That said, stamina is what she has passed on to her offspring with her eight foals to race producing six winners, none of them successful at any distance shorter than 1600m.

When Makybe Diva retired to stud for Tony Santic, her first two foals, a colt by Galileo and a filly by Fusaichi Pegasus (USA) were both offered for sale at Inglis Easter.

The colt sold for $1.5million and won two races as a gelding under the name of Rockstradom and the filly La Dolce Diva sold $1.2million, but failed to place in four starts.

Subsequent yearlings from Makybe Diva were sold for varying amounts over the years with the most successful on the track being All Too Hard mare Divanation, who sold as a yearling for $300,000 at Inglis Premier in 2016 and won a couple of races as well as gaining Black Type with a second in the Listed Warrnambool Cup.

Makybe Diva has five daughters at stud and her last foal before retiring from stud duties is unraced four year-old More Than Ready (USA) mare Terrifictonka, who was retained by the Santic family and is trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman.

The daughters of Makybe Diva are receiving good opportunity at stud with Divanation in particular producing a filly by Ole Kirk as her first foal last spring and she is back in foal again to the Caulfield Guineas and Golden Rose winning son of Written Tycoon.

La Dolce Diva, the first born daughter of Makybe Diva was covered last spring by Dundeel after missing to him the year before and her Group II placed daughter Touch of Mink has foaled this spring producing a lovely filly by Ole Kirk at Fairview Park Stud for Mystery Downs.

Kingstar Farm is home to another of Makybe Diva’s daughters in Demand Attention a winner by Starspangledbanner. They sold a Toronado (IRE) colt from her at Magic Millions this year for $170,000 that has been entered for the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale by Blake Ryan Racing and she has a yearling colt to follow by Capitalist.

Demand Attention was covered last spring by Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside.

For the many fans of Makybe Diva, there is much to follow on the track as her daughters and grand-daughters seek to make their mark at stud in years to come.

Makybe Diva Daughters at Stud