Australia’s best horses descend on Flemington for TAB Champions Stakes Day

A total of 19 Group 1 winners, including the last two Australian Horses of the Year Via Sistina and Pride Of Jenni, headline TAB Champions Stakes Day, a race day headlined by three championship races at the traditional distances of 1200m, 1600m and 2000m, each worth $3 million each. 

The card will also feature runners trained in New Zealand, Japan and Great Britain in addition to horses that have raced in every Australian state and territory.  

The $3 million Group 1 TAB Champions Stakes (2000m) features Via Sistina aiming to become the first mare since Tranquil Star in 1944 and 1945 to win the race in consecutive years. Zaaki successfully achieved this feat when he went back-to-back in 2022.

The dual Cox Plate winner is among eight Group 1 winners in the contest, including TAB Australian Cup hero Light Infantry Man, Irish top-level winner Alenquer and New Zealand’s Pier.

One of the most eagerly anticipated races of the spring is the $3 million Group 1 Lexus Champions Mile (1600m), featuring the last two winners - Pride Of Jenni and Mr Brightside. Pride Of Jenni backs up after an exciting front-running win on Howden Victoria Derby Day in the TAB Empire Rose Stakes.

Last-start Cox Plate placegetter Treasurethe Moment, who starred at last year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival by winning the Wakeful Stakes and the Crown Oaks, will aim to take her Carnival record to three wins from three starts in the Lexus Champions Mile.

Leading British trainer William Haggas is unbeaten at the Melbourne Cup Carnival and saddles up Lake Forest as the five-year-old aims to win his first Group 1 race, while last-start Sydney winners Ceolwulf and Stefi Magnetica make the trip south.

The $3 million Group 1 VRC Champions Sprint (1200m) is headlined by exciting three-year-old Tentyris, who put himself forward as the next sprinting star of the Australian turf with a sensational victory in the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day. 

Among those taking him on are Group 1 winners Giga Kick, Joliestar, Magic Time and Benedetta - all of whom have won down the famous Flemington straight.

In addition to the three Group 1 races, the $300,000 Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) looms as one of the highlights of the week. 

A record eight horses are eligible for a $200,000 bonus should they win, having paid up for the Lexus Melbourne Cup but missing a run in the race that stops a nation® on Tuesday. 

The connections of Birdman, Sayedaty Sadaty, Etna Rosso, Golden Snap, Post Impressionist, Interpretation, Whisky On The Hill and Scary will be hoping to join an honour roll that includes Lexus Melbourne Cup winners like Makybe Diva, Might And Power, Hyperno, Rain Lover and Galilee, earning the bonus on top of any prizemoney with a victory.

For the first time, World Pool will cover seven races on TAB Champions Stakes Day, giving bettors in Hong Kong their first ever opportunity to bet on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Australia’s greatest festival concludes in style both on and off the track.

FISHER will close the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival with a spectacular performance on The Elms Live Stage presented by Maccas.  FISHER, one of the world’s most in demand DJs and music producers will perform an electrifying and energetic DJ set as part of the Melbourne Cup Carnival Off the Rails party after the last race.  Energising the crowd ahead of FISHER will be his regular support act and renowned Australian DJ, Little Fritter.  

For the first time ever, the racetrack past the Winning Post will be opened after the final race, giving more racegoers the chance to step onto the track and enjoy an unforgettable experience with FISHER.  

The Victoria Racing Club’s Pin & Win campaign has raised more than $9 million for charities since it was introduced in 1995. This year, pins will be sold across the course for charity partner, Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania, assisting them as they help seriously ill and injured children and their families stay together and close to hospital by providing accommodation, living support, education and scholarships. 

Through the Pin & Win partnership, the charity will be aiming to raise a record amount to cover 4,000 nights of accommodation.  

The commemorative pins sell for $10 for the Lexus Melbourne Cup pin and $15 for the diamante horseshoe, with all purchasers eligible to enter the draw to win over $214,000 worth of prizes including a brand new 2025 Lexus RX 450h+ car.  

Pin & Win Ambassadors Elly Wicks, Dani Venn, Sarah Roberts and Grant Smillie will all be on track to promote the campaign. 

Gates open at 11:00am ahead of the opening race at 12:40pm. General Admission tickets are available from $85 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit vrc.com.au.