Champions Stakes (VRC)

Champions Stakes (VRC)
*registered as the LKS Mackinnon Stakes*
Group 1 race
	1932 & 1934 winner – Peter Pan
Location	Flemington Racecourse,; Melbourne, Australia
Inaugurated	1869; 155 years ago (as Melbourne Stakes)
Race type	Thoroughbred
Sponsor	Paramount+ (2021)
Race information
Distance	2,000 metres
Surface	Turf
Qualification	Three year olds and older that are not maidens
Weight	Weight for Age
Purse	$3,000,000 (2022)

The VRC Champions Stakes, registered as the LKS Mackinnon Stakes, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup.^[1]^[2] Total prize money is A$3,000,000.

History

The race is named after a former chairman of the Victoria Racing Club, Lauchlan Kenneth Scobie ("L.K.S.") MacKinnon (1861–1935).^[3] It was originally held on the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Victoria Derby Day. In 2016, the VRC moved the race as the feature of the last day of the carnival, and moved the Cantala Stakes (the then feature of the last day of the carnival and at the time known as the Emirates Stakes) to the first day of the carnival. After the swap, the race would be known as simply the Emirates Stakes until 2017.^[1]

Prior to 2016, many horses with a ranking high enough to avoid the ballot for the Melbourne Cup used the race as a lead-in to the 3,200 metre Cup, run on the first Tuesday in November (otherwise they race in the longer Hotham Handicap). The VRC believed that placing the race on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival would attract quality horses, that raced in the W. S. Cox Plate, to run at the distance, rather than using the race to prepare for the Melbourne Cup.^[1] In 2022, the race was renamed the VRC Champions Stakes in order to align with the branding of the entire race day, which is now called Champions Day instead of Stakes Day.^[4]

The attendance record for the race day was set in 2011, with 85,112 in attendance.^[5]

Name

In 1937 the VRC moved the Melbourne Stakes to earlier in the spring, running it in September, over a shorter distance of 1 mile (1.6 km). The race was the predecessor to the Turnbull Stakes.

Distance

1869–1971 - 11⁄4 miles (~2000 metres)
1972 onwards - 2000 metres

Grade

1869–1978 - Principal Race
1979 onwards - Group 1

Doubles wins

The following thoroughbreds have won the LKS MacKinnon Stakes – Melbourne Cup in the same year.

Malua (1884), Carbine (1890), Phar Lap (1930), Peter Pan (1932, 1934), The Trump (1937), Comic Court (1950), Delta (1951), Dalray (1952), Rising Fast (1954), Rain Lover (1968), At Talaq (1986), Empire Rose (1988), Let's Elope (1991), Rogan Josh (1999)

Attendance

Source:^[6]

Winners since 2000

Year^[7]	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2000	Oliver Twist	6	Greg Childs	Brian Mayfield-Smith	Gainsborough Lodge Syndicat	2:04.48
2001	La Bella Dama	4	Scott Seamer	Graeme Rogerson	Mrs C & Mrs D Howell et al	2:01.57
2002	Lonhro	4	Darren Beadman	John Hawkes	Woodlands Stud	2:02.64
2003	Casual Pass	3	Glen Boss	Peter Morgan	Contract Racing Syndicate	2:05.86
2004	Grand Armee	6	Damien Oliver	Gai Waterhouse	A R Bell	2:00.91
2005	Lad of the Manor	6	Greg Childs	Simon Stout	David Thomas & Lorraine Smith	2:01.72
2006	Desert War	6	Chris Munce	Gai Waterhouse	Gooree Pastoral Company	2:02.38
2007	Sirmione	4	Peter Mertens	Bart Cummings	Xipell, Covington & Smith	2:02.32
2008	Theseo	5	Nash Rawiller	Gai Waterhouse	Mike Townsend, P Evans et al	2:03.84
2009	Scenic Shot	7	Shane Scriven	Dan Morton	D L Morton, E A Galante et al	2:03.46
2010	So You Think	4	Steven Arnold	Bart Cummings	Dato Tan Chin Nam	2:04.92
2011	Glass Harmonium	6	Damien Oliver	Mike Moroney	R & C Legh Racing, Lorne Bloodstock	2:02.72
2012	Alcopop	8	Craig Williams	Jake Stephens	J A Stephens, J P & Mrs S K Kelton et al	2:01.26
2013	Side Glance	7	Jamie Spencer	Andrew Balding	Pearl Bloodstock	2:03.59
2014	Happy Trails	7	Damien Oliver	Paul Beshara	Peter & Erica Dickmann	2:02.28
2015	Gailo Chop	5	Ben Melham	Antoine De Watrigant	OTI Management, Werrett Bloodstock et al	2:03.56
2016	Awesome Rock	5	Stephen Baster	Leon & Troy Corstens	Stan Saric, Mrs J C Saric et al	2:02.49
2017	Tosen Stardom	7	Damian Lane	Darren Weir	Australian Bloodstock, Doonaree Racing et al	2:01.22
2018	Trap For Fools	5	John Allen	Jarrod McLean	Distinct Racing	2:02.31
2019	Magic Wand	5	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien	Tabor, Smith & Magnier	2:01.82
2020	Arcadia Queen	5	Luke Currie	Grant & Alana Williams	Peters Investments Pty Ltd	2:03.53
2021	Zaaki	7	James McDonald	Annabel Neasham	C E Holt et al.	2:02.94
2022	Zaaki	8	Jamie Kah	Annabel Neasham	C E Holt et al.	2:02.00
2023	Atishu	6	James McDonald	Chris Waller	A J A Bosma, Mrs P J Clark et al.	2:02.01