Makybe owners Tony and Deslee Santic have farewelled their champion broodmare Tugela.

The 20 year-old dam of Makybe Diva died on Friday after foaling a filly by All Too Hard.  “Rest in peace our beautiful mare,” Santic posted on Twitter.  “You will be in our hearts forever.  Thank you for the lifetime memories.”

Tugela(USA) was bred in Kentucky and was purchased for 60,000 guineas by Santic at the 1998 Tattersall’s Sale at Newmarket in foal to Desert King.

The Riverman mare and that foal – a filly destined to become a Melbourne Cup legend – were exported to Australia in September 1999.

Tugela is the dam of four individual stakes winners.  Besides Makybe Diva, who won 15 races and over $14.50 million, they are Musket (Redoute’s Choice), Valkyrie Diva (Jade Robbery) and La Amistad (Redoute’s Choice).

Trained by Team Hawkes, La Amistad was runner-up in the LR Tattersalls Cup at Randwick last Saturday and the five year-old mare is still in the running for a start in the Melbourne Cup.

Tugela is also the dam of four year-old gelding Rodway (Street Cry), a recent winner at Bairnsdale, and an unnamed two year-old filly by Desert King.

TUGELA
Makybe mare with her 2012 filly foal by Desert King