Makybe Diva Wins Cox Plate

In her preparation for this year's Melbourne Cup, two-times Cup winner Makybe Diva won the 2040m Cox Plate at Melbourne's Moonee Valley racecourse today. She is the only horse to have won two Melbourne Cups followed by victory in the Cox Plate.

In a field of 14 racehorses, Makybe Diva was the dominant favorite on TAB fixed odds as of this morning but had never won a race at Moonee Valley before.

Makybe Diva was running behind the leaders in today's Cox Plate before sprinting at the turn to finish first, followed by Lotteria and Fields of Omagh.


Highlights of Makybe Diva's career include winning the Melbourne Cup twice (2003, 2004) at Melbourne's Flemington racecourse, Sydney Cup (2004) at Sydney's Randwick racecourse, Australian Cup (2005) at Sydney's Flemington racecourse and The BMW (2005) at Sydney's Rosehill racecourse.

In winning this year's Cox Plate, she joins Tranquil Star (1944) as the only seven-year-old mares to win it.

Previously, the only horses to win the Melbourne Cup-Cox Plate double were Phar Lap (1930-31) and Might and Power (1997-98). No mare had ever won the double before. Now Makybe Diva has done it.

The Cox Plate was run at 3.30pm Australian eastern time today.

Melbourne Cup Day
The Running of the Melbourne Cup