The achievements of one of Australia’s greatest ever thoroughbreds have been celebrated with the opening of the Makybe Diva Exhibition Showcase within the Champions Gallery at the National Sports Museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Hall of Fame jockey Glen Boss, who piloted Makybe Diva to her greatest successes, helped to officially open the Showcase in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the duo’s three successive Melbourne Cup wins in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

The Showcase is open to the general public until April 2016 in the Champions Gallery.

Key memorabilia on display in the Exhibition Showcase includes a set of Makybe Diva’s original colours, the goggles, gloves, whip and saddle cloths used by Boss in the 2005 Melbourne Cup victory and one of the famous custom-made sequinned masks that Boss, trainer Lee Freedman and owner Tony Santic celebrated in after Makybe Diva’s historic 2005 win.

The centrepiece of the display is Boss’ 2003 and 2004 Melbourne Cup jockey trophies and Freedman’s 2005 trainer trophy.

Boss was thrilled to have the memorabillia on display for the public.

“It was a great time in my life, so it’s appropriate that I can share this with other people and they can come and look at what I used," he said.

National Sports Museum Assistant Curator – Exhibitions, Meg Rowland, said the museum was pleased to be debuting the celebration of Makybe Diva’s achievements and the impression she made on the Australian public, in time for the Spring Racing Carnival.

“The National Sports Museum is honoured to showcase this collection of prized items and tell the story of Makybe Diva and those who were a part of her incredible feats,"Rowland said.

"Her legacy continues to live on in the hearts and minds of the Australian public and we’re delighted to be able to share these pieces of history with future visitors to the National Sports Museum.”

Foaled in England in 1999, Makybe Diva was shipped to Australia by Tony Santic. She made her racing debut in July 2002, and recorded her first win two weeks later.

Makybe Diva’s Melbourne Cup story began in 2003 when Boss steered her to a thrilling victory. The duo claimed the title again the following year, this time under new trainer Lee Freedman.

With her second Cup, Makybe Diva became one of only five horses – and the only mare – to have won the coveted prize twice.

In 2005, with Boss again in the saddle, Makybe Diva achieved what no other horse has; her third Melbourne Cup. She bettered champions Think Big, Rain Lover, Peter Pan and Archer – who had all won the Melbourne Cup twice – when she claimed the famous race for a third time.

During Makybe Diva’s outstanding career she raced 36 times and amassed 15 wins, seven placings and an Australian record $14,526,685 in prize money.

She was twice named Australian Racehorse of the Year (2004/2005 and 2005/2006 racing seasons) and in 2006 she was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

In 2010 Makybe Diva was elevated to Legend status in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, joining Phar Lap (2007), Bart Cummings (2008) and Scobie Breasley (2009).