Three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva succumbs to colic

Two-time Australian Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Makybe Diva, the only horse to win three consecutive editions of the Melbourne Cup, has died at the age of 27. The mare, who was foaled in 1999, was living in retirement at owner Tony Santic’s property, and suffered a colic attack, according to a statement provided by her owner to the Australian media.

Makybe Diva, a British-born daughter of Desert King, won the Melbourne Cup, the “Race That Stops a Nation,” in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Her four additional Group 1 triumphs included the 2005 Cox Plate. Overall, she won 15 of 36 starts, earning more than $10.7 million in U.S. funds.

Makybe Diva, who produced her last foal in 2019, never replicated herself as a racehorse. She was represented by six winners from nine starters, the best of those being stakes-placed Divanation.

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