Not since the immortal Phar Lap has Australia had a racehorse with the staying talent and crowd appeal as Makybe Diva, by Desert King out of the Riverman mare Tugela. And when she managed to win Australia’s most famous race, the $5-million Melbourne Cup (Aust-I) three times in a row, she propelled herself into immortality too.
On Aug. 21, once again Australia celebrated when Makybe Diva foaled her first daughter, by Coolmore’s Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Fusaichi Pegasus (Mr. Prospector—Angel Fever, by Danzig).
It was a controversial mating at the time, since Fusaichi Pegasus has not been a great success in Australia as a stallion—he has produced group I winner Haradasun—but given the outstanding and consistent crop of group I winning mares he received, his sale ring potential has slumped alarmingly. However, an equine influenza outbreak caused connections to choose Fusaichi Pegasus, as Makybe Diva was at Coolmore, as was the stallion, when EI hit.
This is the second foal for Makybe Diva, who produced a colt last year by former Coolmore shuttler, Vodafone English Derby (Eng-I) winner Galileo, another failure, so far, at stud in Australia.
The great and popular mare is now booked to visit fellow Coolmore stallion and last season's Australian leading sire Encosta de Lago, who is by Fairy King our of the Star Way mare Shoal Creek. Makybe Diva, the only horse to win three Melbourne Cups: in 2003, ’04, and ’05, retired in November 2005 with 15 wins (11 stakes from seven furlongs to two miles, including seven group Is), plus 7 placings from 36 starts for Aus$14,526,685 (approximately US$14.1million) in purse earnings.
Fusaichi Pegasus is the sire of Makybe Diva's 2nd foal, a filly born Aug. 21.
