Summary

This mask was one of number produced by the Santic family (the owners of Makybe Diva) and given away to attendees of the Melbourne Cup Parade through the CBD, on 31st October, 2005, and the Melbourne Cup Day race meeting, on the 1st November, 2005. Makybe Diva ran in the Melbourne Cup, and won her third consecutive victory.

Physical Description

Thin cardboard crescent shaped mask, with two eye holes cut out, and a length of black elastic attached through a small hole on either side. The front is decorated in Makybe Diva's racing colours of blue, black and white (which represent the colours of the Croatian flag, the birthplace of Tony Santic) and the Southern Cross, with printed name of the horse, as well as the name and signatures of her owner, trainer and jockey. The Emirates logo is printed at the top, and `Emirates Melbourne Cup' is printed at the bottom.

Significance

The race book and masks relate to the 2005 Melbourne Cup Carnival, held at Flemington Racecourse from the 29th October to the 5th November, 2005. The 2005 Melbourne Cup was significant as the unprecedented third consecutive win by champion racehorse Makybe Diva. Many called it the most significant, and exciting, cup win since Phar Lap's in 1930. Jockey Glenn Boss even dubbed her Phar Lap the 2nd. There were many debates, particularly in the media, over whether Makybe Diva was a greater horse than Phar Lap. The success of Makybe Diva was celebrated by Racing Victoria on the following Saturday as part of the Emirates Stakes Day.

Currently this material falls slightly outside of the appropriate Collection Policy, which states that the Museum will collect "objects associated with the horse and his career, and the process of memorialisation that occurred after his death. Souvenirs, photographs and memories are all collected, and changes in the way Phar Lap is remembered are being recorded" Although this material arguably relates to "changes in the way Phar Lap is remembered", it may be necessary to add a reference to the `Makybe Diva' phenomenon as an important contemporary comparison with the Phar Lap story. It is prosed to use this comparison in the new Phar Lap exhibition due to open in 2008.

More Information