Racing: Superstar Diva adds Australian Cup with style

MELBOURNE - Owner Tony Santic rated Makybe Diva's record breaking Australian Cup victory nearly as good as winning the Melbourne Cup.

Makybe Diva shattered the 2000m record set in the Australian Cup two years ago by the great Northerly.

She cut seven-tenths of a second off his time, crossing the line in an Australian record 1:58.73 in Saturday's feature.

It was Makybe Diva's first win at weight-for-age and she could not have been more impressive beating Winning Belle by a length with Lad Of The Manor 3 1/2 lengths away third.

Her nemesis, Elvstroem, was nosed out of third place. Trainer Tony Vasil will now consider his options for Elvstroem.

Makybe Diva, the winner of the last two Melbourne Cups, was bred by Santic and has given him the thrill of a lifetime but he said the Australian Cup win was right up there with his most exciting moments.

"I think it is very special, nearly as good as the Melbourne Cup," Santic said.

"The Melbourne Cup is the Melbourne Cup but for Makybe and her family, winning at 2000 metres at weight-for-age was very important. She is just fantastic."

Makybe Diva is now favourite to be named Australian Horse of the Year in August having won the Melbourne Cup and Australian Cup this season and having been beaten in a photo finish when second to Elvstroem in the Caulfield Cup.

Melbourne trainer Lee Freedman said there was still improvement in Makybe Diva but that topping the Australian Cup win would be hard.

"She's won 2000 metres at group one and broken the course record," Freedman said.

"What more you can say?".

Freedman said Makybe Diva was ready to take on Grand Armee on his home turf in Sydney in next Saturday's group one BMW (2400m) at Rosehill and would be hard to beat when she travels to Japan next month where she will have two runs.

Her primary target is the A$3 million Tenno Sho (3200m) at weight-for-age at Kyoto on May 1.

"The Japanese are very hard to beat at home but they will have to be bloody good to beat her," Freedman said.

Sydney jockey Glen Boss said Makybe Diva was a horse jockeys dream of riding.

"It's an awesome feeling. This mare has given me so many thrills. She's the best horse I have ever ridden without a doubt now," he said.

For Boss, the win came 24 hours after being interrogated by stewards over his previous ride on the mare.

They claimed he had overdone the waiting tactics when Elvstroem beat Makybe Diva two weeks ago.

He waited again on Saturday, almost as if to prove a point.

But it seemed as though he lost patience at exactly the same time as his horse.

"I was giggling to myself at the top of the straight," Boss said. "I couldn't believe how easy she was going."

Freedman became the first trainer since the late Peter Hayes six years ago to land the Newmarket Handicap (Alinghi)-Australian Cup double in the same year.

"They had to be great horses to do it," Freedman said.

"Fortunately I'm blessed to have two horses like them."

Hayes won the 1999 Newmarket with Isca and the Australian Cup with Istidaad.

- NZPA