Croatian owned horse Diva's double makes Cup history
Croatian Owned horse becomes the first mare to win the Melbourne Cup twice in its 143-year history in the race that stops a nation.
Diva's double makes Cup history
November 2, 2004 - 3:16PM
Makybe Diva has made history, winning her second consecutive Melbourne Cup.
The mare ridden again by Glen Boss and trained by Lee Freedman, stormed home on the inside in the final straight to snatch the race from Vinnie Roe. In wet, squally conditions, the two giants of the race battled it out to the end, with Zazzman coming in third in the $4.5 million race. Makybe Diva, originally trained by David Hall before being taken over by Lee Freedman, also won the race last year.
Speaking after the race, Boss said he wasn't a legend - the legend was Makybe Diva.
"I'm just the lucky bastard who's sitting on her back."
Clearly emotional, the star jockey is normally one to joke and shrug off the pressure but he said he was feeling it this time. "That was just amazing. I've never felt anything like that before.
"...When I got within 600m she just moved inside them and I was in a little world of my own; it was a walk in the park."
The mare gets her name from the first two letters of the women who work in the owners' office: Marie, Kylie, Belinda, Diane and Vanessa.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/Makybe-Diva-makes-it-a-double/2004/11/02/1099362129601.html
Op-ed:
More on Croatian Diva coming soon. Thank you Robert Brizar.
Nenad Bach