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With the 10-year anniversary of her extraordinary third Melbourne Cup win approaching, we were given yet another reminder last week of how amazing Makybe Diva’s achievement was.
The gallant effort of French race mare, Trêve, to finish fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp highlights yet again how Makybe Diva achieved the seemingly impossible.
There are many comparisons between the Melbourne Cup and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Both are major international races, which attract the eyes of thoroughbred followers around the world. Both have long traditions and can claim some outstanding champions as their winners.
Trêve was only a three-year-old when she scored an astonishing win in the 2013 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. In that field was the Japanese champion, Orfevre, who had been within a nose of winning the race the previous year and started a 2-1 favourite only to finish five lengths behind Treve, in second place again.
In 2014 Trêve returned to Longchamp and became only the seventh dual winner of the Arc, matching the achievements of such racing greats as Ribot and Alleged. As with the Melbourne Cup prior to Makybe Diva’s win in 2005, no horse had ever won the race three times.
This week Trêve was attempting a ‘Makybe’. She lined up for her third tilt at Europe’s greatest prize. Her presence in the field created enormous interest and she went to the starting barrier as the even money favourite.
Thousands of fans in the big crowd carried Trêve signs and everyone was on standby for history to be made in front of their eyes. #FollowTreve was all the rage on social media.
It wasn’t to be.
English Derby winner, Golden Horn, with Frankie Dettori in the saddle, proved too strong and scored a convincing win with Trêve running well but having to be satisfied with fourth place.
Despite her impressive career and the confidence that everybody had in her, Trêve was not able to go that extra step. She has now been retired to stud.
It was after all unlikely that any horse could win the Arc three times, just as it seemed that way for Makybe Diva in 2005.
When I first started following the Melbourne Cup there had been only two dual winners, Archer (1861 and 1862) and Peter Pan (1932 and 1934). Rain Lover’s wins in 1968 and 1969 were to be followed quickly by Think Big in 1974 and 1975. It was to be another 29 years before Makybe Diva joined them on that magic leader-board.
History showed that winning two Melbourne Cups was extremely rare. Surely winning three was impossible.
But Makybe Diva did the impossible. Greg Miles’ brilliant call of that race told it all. At the top of the straight he referred to her as “the champion” and then on the line came out with the immortal line “the champion becomes a legend!”.
In this modern world of today’s news quickly being usurped by more recent events there might be a fear that Makybe Diva’s performance could fade from memory.
While ever there is the possibility of another horse winning two and then striving for a third, as Trêve did in the Arc, there is that very, very slight chance that it could happen again.
But as Makybe Diva’s trainer, Lee Freedman, commented after the Australian champion’s third win: “Go find the smallest person on this course and there will be the only example of a person who will live long enough to see that again.”
Thank you, Trêve for highlighting once again just what a champion our Makybe Diva is.
Gerry Collins is a journalist and radio presenter, and one of the foundations of the ABC’s Grandstand coverage for almost three decades. Gerry called countless rugby and rugby league matches, as well as covering the Olympic Games with a particular talent for swimming commentary. Gerry joins The Roar as an expert columnist on all thing sport.
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