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At the Australian Racehorse of the Year and Hall of Fame Awards on Sunday night at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium, MAKYBE bred Starspangledbanner won two awards for Champion Sprinter and Champion Australian Bred International.
Transferred to Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien for his European campaign after the Newmarket Handicap and therefore no longer classed as Australian trained. his overseas success did not count towards the judging of the Australian Champion Sprinter. It was left up to his electrifying performances on Australian soil during the season to earn him the coveted award of Australia’s Champion Sprinter.
His all the way win in the spring demolishing a cracking Caulfield Guineas field was a wonderful exhibition of pure speed and put him on track to take the title. In the Melbourne autumn his consistency in the sprinting Triple Crown where he was placed 4th place in the Lightening Stakes, third in the Newmarket Handicap and he took out the Oakleigh Plate clenched him the title. In taking out the award he beat a field of outstanding nominees including Typhoon Tracy, Hot Danish and Melito.
It was in Europe where Starspangledbanner showed he wasn’t just Australia’s best sprinter but arguably the best sprinter in the world. He became the first Australian bred horse to win the Golden Jubilee and July Cup double. In taking out the aware he beat a line up of outstanding Australian bred performers including Rocket Man, Sacred Choice and Musir.
In a great finale to the evening Makybe Diva was elevated to “Legend” status of the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame joining Bart Cummings, Phar Lap and Scobie Breasely. As caller Greg Miles so eloquently told the world as she passed the post in her history making third Melbourne Cup, “A champion becomes a legend.” Last night it became official.