2001 Melbourne Cup – Ethereal
In many ways, the success of Ethereal was always on the cards. Not in the history of the Melbourne Cup had a female trained a winner of the Melbourne Cup. Well, not officially. New Zealand trainer, ‘Granny’ McDonald was denied the honour in 1938 when the authorities would not allow females to hold a licence in Victoria. In order to run, Catalogue, the winner, was transferred into the name of her husband, Allan McDonald. Sheila Laxon, in training Ethereal, became the first official female to achieve the feat following her win in the Caulfield Cup some 17 days earlier. Ethereal became the tenth of eleven individual mares to win the Cup with jockey Scott Seamer securing his Cup win at his very first ride in the race.
2003, 2004 and 2005 Melbourne Cup – Makybe Diva
For the 106,000 that witnessed Makybe Diva create history with her third Melbourne Cup, it was a moment not to be forgotten. The race brought the curtain down on an incredible career that also included a Cox Plate, Australian Cup, Sydney Cup and Turnbull Stakes among others. Her jockey Glen Boss described her as having a “beautiful nature who just wanted to please you.”
2007 Stakes – Tears I Cry
The 2007 Stakes was an emotional win for all connections. It was jockey Nikita Berriman’s first Group 1, a milestone win for the young 26-year-old trainer, Ciaron Maher, and a dream come true for the owner and breeder Anne McGrath. Her incredible reaction to seeing the horse win captured hearts and encapsulated the rags to riches story.