RACING/Melbourne Cup report: Makybe Diva strengthened her claim to be the finest staying racemare that Australia has seen when she won the two-mile Melbourne Cup for the second year running in the early hours of yesterday.
The Lee Freedman-trained seven-year-old became only the fourth horse to complete back-to-back victories, and the first mare to do so, in the 144 runnings of Australia's most famous - and, with some £2 million in prize- money, richest - race, first staged in 1861.
A 98,000-strong Flemington crowd, braving unseasonal gusting winds and driving rain, saw Glen Boss give Makybe Diva a ride of huge patience, settling her in mid-division of the 21 runners and saving ground on the inside.
However, punters who had sent her off the 13 to 5 favourite must have been getting nervous when she was still 15th with a mile to race.
Boss had to bide his time for running room as the field turned in, allowing Pat Smullen to get first run on Dermot Weld's Vinnie Roe, the Irish St Leger winner.
For a moment it seemed Smullen had stolen the £966,000 first prize on the 5 to 1 second favourite, who looked as if he would become the first top-weight to win in 50 years, but as soon as Makybe Diva found a gap she accelerated into the lead and stayed on strongly to win by 1½ lengths, with Zazzman, a 100 to 1 outsider, back in third.
"I was confident she would win by the 800 metres (four-furlong) mark because she has such a brilliant sprint," said Boss. "We started finding the gaps coming into the straight and by the 300m it was all over."
The British-trained raiders failed to make any impact with Michael Stoute's Distinction faring best in sixth place. Stoute felt jockey Darren Beadman may have left Distinction too much to do.
Godolphin's Mamool put up a fair performance to finish seventh under Frankie Dettori while stablemate Razkalla was ninth for Kerrin McEvoy.
Dettori was called to appear before a stewards' inquiry this morning along with Damien Oliver after what looked to be bumping between Mamool and the local jockey's mount, the other Weld runner Media Puzzle, who finished 12th.
Makybe Diva lumped 8st 11lb to victory, a new weight-carrying record for a mare in the race, and adapted well to rain-softened ground after winning on a faster surface 12 months ago.
"She's probably one of the greatest staying mares to ever race in this neck of the woods," said Freedman. And she may yet get on to the world stage and prove herself there as well."
The sprinter Choisir showed last year the best Australian horses can be competitive in Europe, and some ambitious plans are now forming in Freedman's mind.
"Ever since I saw Dancing Brave win the Arc I have had a thing about trying for that race," Freedman said. "It seemed out of reach to us, but maybe that isn't the case any more. Makybe Diva's performance today might persuade us to go for the Arc next year. We might also consider the Ascot Gold Cup. She made history today - so why not try something new?"
Weld, who has trained two race winners (Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle), is already planning another crack at next year's renewal with Vinnie Roe.
"I'd like to come back with him next year," he said. "I believe Makybe Diva may be racing in the Northern Hemisphere next year, so she mightn't be here but I'd like to have another shot at the Cup. It's one of the world's great racing occasions."
Vinnie Roe was only confirmed as a definite runner after overnight rain at the track and Weld thought he ran a "typical strong, courageous race" under top weight to claim the runner-up prize of £306,723.
"He ran superbly and Pat Smullen rode him superbly but the weight just told at the end," he explained. "It was certainly no disgrace to be beaten by Makybe Diva, who is obviously a world-class staying mare."
4.10 (Melbourne Cup, £1,176,471) MAKYBE DIVA (G Boss) 13/5 Fav, 1; Vinnie Roe (P J Smullen) 5/1, 2; Zazzman (N Ryan) 100/1, 3. 24 ran. 1¼l\, 2¾l. (L Freedman). Win 3.60; Places 2.10, 2.70, 23.60.
