The year dawned in the wake of one of the worst natural disasters the world had ever experienced - the Asian tsunami. It wasn't the last of nature's fury either: Eight months later North America braced itself for the devastating impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, whilst Iran endured a crippling earthquake. And whilst it wasn't Mad Cow disease or SARS, the threat of Bird Flu at least gave local Councils a legitimate excuse to knock off their local pigeon populations.The long term impact of the disease/disasters (aside from giving certain pharmaceutical stocks a massive boost and the media a plentiful amount to write about) are yet to be seen but surprisingly perhaps, whilst the doomsday prophets finally had some decent content for their sermons, the disasters did little to dampen general economic conditions and certainly didn't quell the desire for high-priced bloodstock or the excitement surrounding the history making feats of various horses in different parts of the world.

So, to racing, and 2005 surely belongs to Makybe Diva - the mighty mare whose history (birth in Europe and racing life in Australia) so beautifully captures the growing internationalisation of the sport. In her historic 3rd successive triumph in Australia's Gr1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington, Makybe Diva set an Australian stakes earnings record and with earnings of US$10,767,186 became the leading all-time female earner and overall second highest prize money earner (the Japanese star T.M. Opera O's leading that respective list with US$16,200,337). From a marketing perspective (a tactic that drew the ire of Equine Daily) you needed a pair of Dame Edna Style glasses to support Makybe Diva on the track … and is it just me or does this magazine picture bear an uncanny resemblance to her owner?!

A few Australian horses apart from Makybe Diva (ranked the world's leading female and stayer) took a bow in the World Rankings this year - Starcraft headed the Older Miler on Turf category, Fields Of Omagh made it into the Top 50, and the Australian bred Silent Witness topped the Sprinter category.

Meanwhile, whilst not a world champion, evergreen sprinter Bomber Bill proved that age does not necessarily weary them when the 10 year old gelding won the listed Hefferman Stakes in November and boosted his prize money to AUD$ 1,809,830.