Three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva dies after sudden colic

Makybe Diva, the Desert King mare who remains the only horse to win three consecutive Melbourne Cups in 2003, 2004 and 2005, died after a sudden bout of colic while living in retirement at owner Tony Santic’s property at Gnarwarre. Reports say she passed on Saturday; outlets vary on her age at death and on career totals.

Makybe Diva’s place in Australian racing was sealed by the 2005 treble and a string of top-level wins that included the Cox Plate in 2005, the VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Turnbull Stakes. She was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2006 and was crowned Australian Champion Racehorse in 2005, honors cited across reporting on her death.

Her three Melbourne Cups came under two training regimes. David Hall trained her to the 2003 Cup, and the Freedman brothers oversaw the victories in 2004 and 2005 after Hall left; the mare was transferred to Lee Freedman’s private Markdel stable near Mornington after Hall earned a contract to train in Hong Kong. Jockey Glen Boss rode all three Cups, although some reports spell his name “Glenn Boss.” Lee Freedman later reflected on that third Cup moment with the line “Go and find the youngest child here, as that child might be the only person who lives long enough to see something like that again.”

Statistical accounts vary across outlets. ESPN reported she retired with AU$14 million in career earnings and claimed seven Group 1 races, while The Guardian cited 15 wins from 36 starts and $14.5 million in prize money. Age at death is inconsistent in reporting: ESPN and The Guardian reported her as aged 26, while Fox Sports and The Straight reported 27; one local outlet showed both figures in duplicated text. Racing Australia studbook records and Makybe Stud confirmation will be required to reconcile foaling date, official earnings and exact start-win totals.

Makybe Diva retired from racing immediately after the 2005 Melbourne Cup, a decision Tony Santic made at Flemington, and retired from breeding in 2019 after producing nine foals, with five winners from seven to race. Makybe Stud paid tribute in a statement: “A once-in-a-generation legend, Makybe Diva captured the imagination of the nation and the admiration of the global racing community. Her career was defined by courage, endurance and historic achievement. Today, Makybe Diva remains the only horse in history to win three consecutive victories in the Melbourne Cup in 2003, 2004 and 2005.”

Santic offered a personal reflection in the statement reproduced by multiple outlets: “From the day she came into our lives, she was never just a racehorse, she was family,” and “She gave us moments Australia will never forget, but more than that, she gave us joy every single day.” Makybe social media added, “For 27 years she was loved by owner Tony Santic and adored by a nation. More than a racehorse, she was heart, history and pride in motion.”

Tributes included Victoria Racing Club officials laying flowers at the Makybe Diva statue at Flemington - Neil Wilson, VRC chairman, and CEO Kylie Rogers were reported among those paying respects - and former race caller Greg Miles’ famous 2005 line that the moment was “when a champion becomes a legend.” Makybe Diva leaves a Hall of Fame berth, a Cox Plate, three Melbourne Cups and a breeding legacy of nine foals as racing circles and her connections mourn.