Prizemoney: $755,185

4YO & Upwards Set Weights plus Penalties. Apprentices cannot claim.

78th of Series

Race History

RICHARD TURNBULL (1875-1951)

Richard Turnbull, a Victorian pastoralist with extensive interests in Central Western Queensland, served as a committee member of the Victoria Racing Club for more than a quarter of a century from 1925, Vice Chairman from 1938, Acting Chairman 1939, and Chairman from 1942 until the year of his death. With Sirius (1944) he was the first incumbent VRC Chairman to own a Melbourne Cup winner. His filly East End won the 1942 VRC Oaks. The VRC renamed its October Melbourne Stakes in his honour in 1948. The Turnbull Stakes was elevated to Group 1 status in 2006.

Prizemoney: $505,385

Quality Handicap. Apprentices cannot claim.

Registered name: The Bart Cummings

Golden Ticket Race: The winner of this race is exempt from ballot for the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup

61st of Series

Race History

BART CUMMINGS (1927-2015)

James Bartholomew (Bart) Cummings AM  achieved ‘Legend’ status in both the Australian Racing Hall of Fame and the Sports Australia Hall of Fame. He trained a record 12 winners of the Melbourne Cup, between 1965 and 2008, including five Cup quinellas. His training career spanned 62 years, with more than 260 Group 1 level winners. He was six times premier trainer in Adelaide, five times in Melbourne, and once in Sydney. The VRC awarded him life membership, and in 2004 established “The Bart Cummings” in his honour, a stepping stone to the Melbourne Cup.

Prizemoney: $305,685

3YO Set Weights plus Penalties. Apprentices cannot claim.

44th of Series

Race History

DANEHILL (USA) (Danzig (USA) – Razyana (USA))

Nine times Champion Australian Sire, Danehill (1986–2003) became the most influential stallion in Australia since the great Star Kingdom, and his breed-shaping bloodlines will influence the thoroughbred population for decades to come. Originally standing in Ireland, his instant success in Australia with his first crop racing in 1993/94 created confidence in the shuttle stallion concept, revolutionising local thoroughbred breeding. Danehill sired more than 80 individual Group 1 winners worldwide. He became renowned as a sire of sires, with Exceed and Excel, Flying Spur, Redoute’s Choice and Fastnet Rock all being crowned Champion Australian Sire.

Prizemoney: $304,485

3YO Fillies Set Weights. Apprentices cannot claim.

94th of Series

Race History

EDWARD MANIFOLD (1868-1931)

Edward Manifold was a prominent Western District pastoralist and, in his youth, a sportsman and top polo player. With his brothers Tom (1863-1895) and James Chester (1867-1917), and on his own account, he raced many successful horses, especially steeplechasers. Aged 28, he was elected to the Victoria Racing Club Committee, and he served the Club in this capacity for 35 years. Sir Chester Manifold was his nephew. The Committee inaugurated the Edward Manifold Stakes in 1932, positioning it as a classic race for three-year-old fillies.

Prizemoney: $304,485

4YO & Upwards Mares Set Weights plus Penalties. Apprentices cannot claim.

37th of Series

Race History

ROSE OF KINGSTON (Claude (ITY) – Kingston Rose)

Victorian-bred, the versatile Rose of Kingston is one of only nine fillies to have won the AJC/ATC Derby at Randwick since its first running in 1861. In 26 starts she achieved 10 wins and 9 placings. Third in the 1981 Golden Slipper, winner of the Champagne Stakes (Randwick), VRC Craiglee Stakes and Oaks, and Australasian Oaks (Adelaide), she became Australian Horse of the Year at 3, and then champion older mare. As a broodmare she went to the USA and with the Triple Crown legend Secretariat produced 1990 Melbourne Cup winner Kingston Rule. 

Prizemoney: $304,485

3YO & Upwards Set Weights plus Penalties. Apprentices cannot claim.

Registered name: Baguette Stakes

51st of Series

Race History

GILGAI FARM

The Nagambie district on Victoria’s Goulburn River has long been prime land for raising champion thoroughbreds. Gilgai Farm established itself there on a small scale, sending its first yearling crop to sales in 2008, including the filly who became the unbeaten heroine of the turf, Black Caviar. Gilgai Farm has since been rated Victorian Breeder of the year multiple times, producing such Group 1 winners as All Too Hard, The Quarterback and Jameka, who won three Group 1s, the 2015 VRC Oaks, the 2016 Caulfield Cup and The BMW in 2017. Other Group 1 winners include Masked Crusader, Ole Kirk, Lucky Bubbles and Absolutely. (The race has formerly been known as the Baguette Stakes and the Sir Rupert Steele Stakes.)

Prizemoney: $177,085

2YO Set Weights. Apprentices cannot claim.

Prizemoney: $177,035

4YO & Upwards Handicap. Apprentices cannot claim.

Registered name: Paris Lane Handicap

Race History

PARIS LANE (Persian Heights (GB) – French Twist)

Australian-bred Paris Lane, trained by Lee Freedman, was a brilliant winner of seven races from 28 starts including the 1994 Caulfield Cup and, two weeks later, the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington. He also represents all of racing’s gallant losers, finishing second to top horses in no less than seven group races, including Jeune’s 1994 Melbourne Cup. Paris Lane, a.k.a. Percy, became one of the original retirees and a popular horse at ‘Living Legends’, Woodlands, reaching the grand equine age of 30 before his passing in July 2021. 

Prizemoney: $176,885

3YO Set Weights plus Penalties. Apprentices cannot claim.

Race History

SUPER IMPOSE (Imposing – Pheroz Fancy (NZ))

Super Impose became the first horse to win the Doncaster and Epsom double at Randwick twice. In his second Epsom he carried 61kg in a field of 20 and was last entering the straight. Jockey Darren Beadman took an opening on the inside and the horse exploded past his opponents to win by more than a length. New Zealand-bred, by Imposing, trained by Lee Freedman, the chestnut gelding raced from 1988 to 1992 with 74 starts for 20 wins and 32 placings, including seconds in the 1989 Melbourne Cup (to stablemate Tawriffic) and in the 1991 Cox Plate and Mackinnon Stakes (to Let’s Elope). At eight, Super Impose narrowly defeated Let’s Elope in the 1992 Cox Plate, then retired as Australia’s leading stakes winner.

Prizemoney: $80,000

Benchmark 79 Handicap. Apprentices can claim.