Champions Stakes.

How to bet on the Champions Stakes with Bet Right

The Champions Stakes is one of the headline features of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. It is a Group 1 weight-for-age race run over 2,000 metres at Flemington Racecourse, held on the final Saturday of the Carnival in early November. First run in 1869 as the Melbourne Stakes and named after its inaugural winner Glencoe, the race was later renamed the L.K.S. Mackinnon Stakes in honour of former VRC chairman Lauchlan Kenneth Scobie MacKinnon. From 2022 onwards it has been styled the Champions Stakes to align with the branding of Champions Day, scheduled with the Champions Mile and the Champions Stakes.

With a prize fund of $3 million, the Champions Stakes regularly attracts some of Australia’s best middle-distance thoroughbreds aged three years and older. Elevated to Group 1 status in 1979, it has long been a cornerstone event for weight-for-age specialists. Historically, the race served as a key lead-up to the Melbourne Cup when held earlier in the Carnival, allowing horses to prove their form before stepping up to the famous two-mile test. Its move to the final day has instead turned it into a climactic showdown for middle-distance stars, drawing strong betting interest and elite fields.

One of the most unforgettable moments in its history came in 1937, when the legendary mare Tranquil Star defied the odds to win against a field stacked with top-class rivals. Already a dual Cox Plate champion, her Champions Stakes victory underlined her extraordinary versatility and cemented her legacy as one of Australia’s greatest mares. The triumph stands as a defining moment in the race’s long history, showcasing its role as a stage for champions to prove their greatness.

 

Bet on your favourite competitors in the Champions Stakes with us at Bet Right by taking advantage of our markets and latest odds that are the ‘Best of the Big 3’ with RPX. Let us elevate your betting experience - How we bet now.

 

Recent Results

In the past few meetings, the runners have upheld the Champions Stakes reputation of tense thoroughbred action and entertainment. Here are those recent champions:

2026 - TBD, Saturday 7th November

2025 - Via Sistina

2024 - Via Sistina

2023 - Atishu

2022 - Zaaki

2021 - Zaaki

2020 - Arcadia Queen

2019 - Magic Wand

2018 - Trap For Fools

2017 - Tosen Stardom

2016 - Awesome Rock

2015 - Gailo Chop

2014 - Happy Trails

2013 - Side Glance

2012 - Alcopop

2011 - Glass Harmonium

2010 - So You Think