Songwriter, Roger King, has released a new song dedicated to legendary Australian racehorse, Makybe Diva.
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The horse that stopped the nation now has an ode of commemoration from a local musician celebrating what was a “phenomenal” career.
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Former Cobram resident and professional songwriter, Roger King, has released a new song dedicated to legendary Australian racehorse Makybe Diva, who won three consecutive Melbourne Cups in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Mr King now lives in Geelong but spent what he describes as “the best years of my childhood” in Cobram.
In 2023, Mr King wrote a song about his home town of Cobram titled Forever My Home.
“I think it’s just one of the most wonderful places in the world today,” he said.
Mr King only started songwriting four years ago at the age of 61 but said it had been a passion of his since the age of five.
“I remember stealing my sister’s old record player back in the day and playing some singles on there,” he said.
Mr King’s parents were music teachers but as a kid, he was rebellious and not interested in learning.
For decades the thought of writing songs had crossed Mr King’s mind as he didn’t play or sing but could always write
It was something he put to the side for many years before he eventually wrote his first song, Simplicity, in just three hours, which has become one of his most popular songs.
Another well-known song of Mr King’s is Captivation Zone, a dedication to his wife Tarn who has been a huge support through his musical endeavours over the years.
Mr King’s latest song is a tribute to three-time Melbourne Cup winner and Australian Icon Makybe Diva.
“She’s my favourite... I’ve been following her since the beginning,” he said.
“I think she’s Australia’s greatest racehorse, to beat 68 other horses in three Melbourne Cups, in wet and dry conditions, is the most phenomenal achievement.”
Mr King was inspired to write a song about Makybe Diva after re-watching a race of hers with his wife Tarn.
“We were sitting in the lounge room back in December and I thought, ‘I wonder why no-one has ever written a song about her in 20 years?’” he said.
“The first step was to get permission from Makybe Diva’s owner Tony Santic, and he said he would be delighted to have a song written about her and that was the catalyst to get things going.”
The cover art for the song is a photo of the statue of Makybe Diva in Port Lincoln, South Australia.
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Makybe Diva sadly passed away of colic at age 27 on February 28 of this year.
She died at her owners’ farm, Makybe Racing & Breeding, in Gnarwarre, Victoria, where she had been enjoying her retirement.
“That was a very, very sombre day in the house,” Mr King said.
“I had just finished the lyrics and sent the first draft over to Tony to have a look, and only four days later she passed.
“The lyrics cover everything from the weather, the lead-up to first-time jockey Glen Boss getting on board... the first two cups... the public holiday and the race that stopped the nation.
“Just in the first verse, it’s got, ‘Could this be a where were you when?’ As in history people know where they were when big events happened.
“So that’s what I wanted to put into the song too as it could be a ‘where were you when’ sort of moment.”
Mr King said he had hoped for an Australian female singer but in the end a musician from the US was chosen.
The music was composed and produced by well-known musician Tom Bailey.
Mr King said he was grateful to have Victoria Racing Club (VRC) approve his request to use a photo of Makybe Diva’s statue as the cover art for his song.
Roger King’s music is available to stream on all streaming services including Spotify.
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