Champions Mile Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025

The Champions Mile, sponsored by the Victorian Racing Club (VRC) is one of Melbourne’s oldest and most prestigious Group 1 thoroughbred horse races as it has been run since 1881! Since that inaugural Champions Mile (then the Coburg Stakes), the notoriety of this feature race has grown exponentially, alongside the prize money which totals $3 million.

The VRC Champions Mile, or as it is now known, the Champions Mile, is a Group 1 weight-for-age race owned and hosted by the Victoria Racing Club. The 1,600m race is always tackled by some of the best horses in not only Australia but also the entire world. 

It is important to note that the Champions Mile recently returned to the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival after previously taking place on the first day instead. Now, for the Champions Mile, the feature race will be run on Champions Day, which used to be called Stakes Day.

There is so much racing at Flemington Racecourse for racing fans to sink their teeth into on the same day and it’s no wonder why many consider Flemington one of the top tracks in the country. The other races on the same day at Flemington include; the Champions Stakes and the Champions Sprint.

Not to be outdone, there’s quality racing in NSW on the same day as well, with Rosehill Racecourse shining with the Golden Gift and The Five Diamonds. So, make sure you’ve set up your Saturday because it’s going to be a cracker, that’s for sure. 

In this page dedicated to the Champions Mile, we will break down all the critical information you will need to know in advance. We take a deep dive into the history of the Champions Mile dating back over 140 years and provide our all-important horse racing betting tips, among other things.

As we go into the Spring Carnival in Victoria, an exciting buzz seems to overcome all racing fans. One of those races that really gets us and racing enthusiasts alike keen on this season is the Champions Mile. With a race that has so much prestige, you would think it would have a lot of prize money attached to it. You would be correct!

There’s a whopping $3 million on the line for this race and the breakdown of the prize money can be found below:

Who doesn’t love some great free racing tips to really get their heart pumping? Well, the team at OnlyRacing has you covered from every angle when it comes to our horse racing tips. We’ve got tips for every Group 1 and key race on the calendar along with Flemington tips to keep you going through the week.

Each year, our Champions Mile tips will be available during race week. Our experts prefer to wait until race week because that’s when the final field is announced, so they know what they are working with. You’ll get three tips from our experts for the Champions Mile, so there’s something for everyone.

It’s not race week just yet, so our 2025 Champions Mile tips aren’t available just yet. While you wait for race week to roll around, check out our 2024 tips:

Champions Mile Best Bet - Broadsiding 

This has got to be one of the most high-quality fields of the day and the market doesn’t know what to do with itself either, as six of the 13 runners are currently listed with single-digit odds. I feel like I don’t know what to do with myself either - so many genuine winning chances - but I think it’s Broadsiding’s time to shine. Currently getting $6.50 for the colt with PlayUp.

The colt is on the fresher side, especially compared to some of the other runners in this one. He’ll be tackling the Champions Mile fourth-up after a decent enough prep that included a win, third and fourth (all in Group 1 races). He came third in the Cox Plate (albeit a distant third), which should be a solid form reference. Flemington suits as well.

Champions Mile Next Best - Antino

Going to put forward Antino as my next best for the 2024 Champions Mile. It will end up being about a month since we last saw the gelding, which was when he absolutely dominated them in the Toorak Handicap, winning by 6.5L. As long as the field doesn’t let Pride Of Jenni run away with it in the early stages, I think Antino is right in this.

Fresh legs could come into play here in such a high-quality field, so others could be struggling at the end, especially if there’s a fast tempo in the race. The Group 1 winner will probably look to settle near the rear of the field, especially from the wide barrier and have one final shot at running them all down before the finishing post.

Champions Mile Best Roughie - Another Wil

With such an open market for the 2024 Champions Mile, finding a true roughie was a little bit of a struggle. In the end, I’ve decided on Another Wil and he’s by no means the biggest roughie I’ve ever found, but the $9.50 we are getting with PlayUp at the time of writing is nothing to turn your nose up at.

I wasn’t too impressed with his effort in the Toorak Handicap two runs back, but the gelding seems to have redeemed himself, thanks to a great win in The Damien Oliver (also at Flemington) last time out, winning by 1.3L. He had to overcome a bit of traffic in that one and then absolutely let rip in the closing stages to end up victorious.

Betting on the Champions Mile is simply a must if you are an enthusiastic horse racing fan or bettor. To help you decide where to place your Champions Mile bets, we have provided some key recommendations that you should follow. 

First things first, which of the many horse racing betting sites do you bet with? The market has become quite saturated in Australia and you’ve now got a lot of choices. Do you go with a more established bookie, or try one of the new betting sites that have just popped up? 

The choice is 100% up to you, but we can help you make your decision. If you head on over to our bookie reviews page, you’ll see in-depth bookie reviews on all the best bookies in Australia. You’ll have all the information required to make the best decision for you.

One of the major areas we look into is each betting site’s app. There are plenty of new betting apps in Australia and we want to make sure they are up to scratch along with reviewing all the apps provided by some of the more established bookies.

If you’ve found a couple of bookies that you like, you don’t have to choose just one. In fact, we think it’s a good idea to open accounts with multiple bookies because it then becomes easier to take advantage of different racing promotions and odds.

There are plenty of markets to choose from as well when it comes to Champions Mile betting. We always recommend sticking with the markets you fully understand. You can always expand your knowledge so you have more options to bet on, but if you don’t understand the bet type, it’s best to avoid it until you do.

As a starting point, some of the bookies that are worth looking into include the likes of PlayUp, Bet365 and Dabble. All three betting sites are known to offer unique promotions and great odds for racing. They might even offer Champions Mile-specific promotions, so keep an eye out for that.

Each year, the Champions Mile field is announced during race week, until then it is only speculation on which runners will make an appearance. If you look back at some of the past editions of the Champions Mile, you will see just how high-quality the field has been and we are expecting more of the same again in the upcoming race.

If you want to get an indication of the runners that might be targeting the Champions Mile, then you should see if the odds are available. The odds will show all the runners that are more favoured in the market and we will have the odds, if they are available, in our “Odds” section below.

It’s not race week just yet, so we can’t bring you the 2025 Champions Mile field. Instead, let’s take a look at the runner who took part in the race in 2024 here:

For the Champions Mile in 2024, we saw a field of 13 runners confirmed, which is a vast improvement from the field of seven runners we saw in 2023! There weren’t any emergencies listed either, so when Desert Lightning and Another Wil were scratched from the race, we ended up seeing just 11 runners compete in the Champions Mile.

Scratchings are an unfortunate way of life in horse racing and you’ll notice it happens quite regularly. There are a few reasons as to why a runner might be scratched, for example, upon vet’s advice or if the runner is a dual acceptor in two races on the same day. If you’re interested in the Champions Mile, you need to keep an eye on scratchings. 

When it comes to the Champions Mile field, you also should look into the barrier draw. It is a key factor to look into because the barrier each runner jumps from can have a major influence on the outcome of the race. Different runners also have different race styles, so they may be more suited for an inside or wider barrier.

It is always a good idea to look into the Champions Mile form guide each year before the event. The form guide can provide valuable insights into the race and even point you in the direction of the next potential winner. With a race that has been going for as long as the Champions Mile has, there’s certainly plenty of data to go through.

If spending hours going through data doesn’t sound fun to you then you’re in luck! The team at OnlyRacing have done all the work for you. We’ve gone through the data and found some little nuggets of gold that you should be aware of. These key form indicators present a pattern and all the information is below.

As the Champions Mile is a race for both genders, we usually see several different formlines converging for the race. There are a lot of different lead-up races that are worth checking out, but it is a good idea to focus on the races that are around the 1,400m to 1,600m mark and those raced at Group level.

Some of the most influential Group 1 lead-up races include; the Makybe Diva Stakes, the Toorak Handicap, the Epsom Handicap and the Cox Plate. The Group 2 lead-up races you should look into include; the Crystal Mile. While for Group 3, check out the Moonga Stakes and the Craven Plate.

The nature of the track at Flemington means that every horse should get their chance if they are good enough. If a runner is not fit enough or the mile is too long for them, they will usually get found out down the long straight. Due to this, the barrier draw doesn’t have as much of an influence, especially compared to other tracks.

While both genders compete in the Champions Mile, mares don’t have the best record here. Since 2000, we’ve only seen four mares win the Champions Mile, which includes; Pride Of Jenni (2023), Shillelagh (2017), Divine Madonna (2006) and Sky Cuddle (2004).

The favourite also doesn’t have the best record in the Champions Mile. In fact, we’ve seen several double-digit longshots win the race in recent years. Since 2009, nine Champions Mile winners have jumped with odds of $10 or higher.

The Champions Mile has been running since 1881, so that means there are a lot of horses that have competed in the race over the years. The race always brings some of the best horses to Flemington, but only the best of the best are good enough to claim victory and the lion’s share of the prize money that comes with it.

We’ve gone through all the Champions Mile horses and carefully selected some of the best winners over the years to feature here in this section. Remember, with a race that has been running since 1881 and just a handful of spots on this list, some tough decisions needed to be made.

Amounis - 1926 & 1929

Two-time winner of the Champions Mile, Amounis won in 1926 and then again in 1929. The gelding finished his career with a record of 79:33-11-8 and this included victories in key races like the Epsom Handicap, the Cox Plate, the All Aged Stakes and the Caulfield Cup. To learn more about any of those races, check out our Group One races list.

Wenona Girl - 1963

Wenona Girl is one of the few mares to win the Champions Mile and the Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee finished her career with a record of 68: 27-19-7. Some of the biggest wins in her career included the likes of the King Charles III Stakes, the CF Orr Stakes, the Rosehill Guineas and the Flight Stakes.

Vain - 1969

Named the 1969/70 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year, Vain won the Champions Mile in 1969. Vain even has a Group 3 race named in his honour, the Vain Stakes, which is raced each year at Caulfield Racecourse. Some of the major races he won throughout his career included; the Golden Slipper, the Champagne Stakes and the Caulfield Guineas.

Better Loosen Up - 1989

With a record of 45:17-9-3, it’s easy to see why Better Loosen Up deserves a spot on this list of the best Champions Mile horses. The 1991 Australian Horse of the Year won major races like the Cox Plate, the Australian Cup, the Railway Stakes and the Champions Stakes, along with the Japan Cup. 

Alligator Blood - 2022

With over $8 million in prize money so far throughout his career, Alligator Blood is one of the best-ever horses to compete and win the Champions Mile. His career record stands at 35:15-5-3 at the time of writing and he has won races like the Stradbroke Handicap, the Caulfield Stakes, the Australian Guineas and the Futurity Stakes.

If you’re going to place a cheeky bet on the Champions Mile, then you’ll need to know what the odds are. The odds will tell you which runner is more likely to win, but it’s important to remember that even if a bookie thinks a runner is more likely to win, it doesn’t guarantee that will happen. Curveballs are thrown all the time in horse racing.

In the lead-up to the race, there will be plenty of horse racing markets to choose from, so if you’re interested in more than just the Fixed Win/ Place market, you’ll have to hold on a bit until the week of the race. 

At this stage, our favourite bookie, PlayUp, is yet to release their market for the 2025 Champions Mile. We will keep an eye on this for you and bring you all the odds details you’ve been searching for when they become available.

When it comes to the Champions Mile odds, it is a good idea to shop around as well. Different bookies are known to offer different odds for the same runner/ market and you are leaving easy money on the table by not shopping around, especially if you’re thinking about betting on a roughie.

While you wait, why don’t you check out the Champions Mile odds for the entire field in 2024 here:

*Odds correct as of 07/11/2024.

In this section of the Champions Mile page, we will go through the important changes that the race has undergone, as well as some interesting facts to get you in the mood for race day. The history of the Champions Mile dates back to its inaugural race in 1881. 

Interestingly, this first edition of the Champions Mile was also held in the first year that the Melbourne Cup ran. Since that race day, the Champions Mile has garnered serious notoriety for its prestige and the talent it draws to Flemington Racecourse. The Champions Mile forms part of the Spring Racing Carnival, one of the biggest horse racing carnivals in Australia.

Race Name

The name ‘Champions Mile’ only recently came into fruition as of the 2022 edition of the race. The original name of the Champions Mile was the Coburg Stakes (1881-1918) and that name has undergone many changes over the history of the Champions Mile.

After almost 30 years of the Coburg Stakes, the Cantala Stakes was born and ran for a further 40 years until the year 1961. From then, the George Adams Handicap was run at Flemington Racecourse up to 1984.

Ampol stepped in as the first major sponsor in 1985 and held the naming rights of the Champions Mile for four consecutive years until Honda took over with a higher bid. The sponsorship cycle continued in the following order (with a noticeable pattern of automobile manufacturers):

• Honda (1989-1992)
• Nissan (1992-1995)
• Chrysler (1996-1997)
• Emirates (1998-2015)

After the almost 20-year-long partnership between Emirates Airlines and Victoria Racing ended, the Cantala Stakes was held in 2016 and the Kennedy Mile (named for the length of the race of course) in 2017 and 2018. A combination of the two, the Kennedy Cantala Stakes, ran for three years until 2022.

Race Distance

The distance, whilst it may not seem like it, has not undergone the immense changes that the Champions Mile name has. Although there are a series of changes to the distance, they are all quite minor. As a result, we have listed them off below in terms of their officially registered distance:

• 1881-1894: 1.5 miles 
• 1895-1971: 1 mile
• 1972-1993: 1,600 metres
• 1994: 1,616 metres
• 1995-2005: 1600 metres
• 2006: 1,610 metres
• 2007-Now: 1,600 metres

Notable Records in the Champions Mile

For a race as famed as the Champions Mile, there are only four multiple-time winners of the thoroughbred feature race. Interestingly, none of these horses have won the race more than twice! These multi-champions of the Champions Mile are:

• Iolaire
• Amounis
• Aquanita
• Seascay

So, who won the latest Champions Mile? All the Champions Mile results details can be found here. We go through the finishing order of all runners in the field, plus we provide a race replay, so you can watch the action as it unfolded.

The 2024 Champions Mile was won by Mr Brightside, who was one of the more favoured runners in what was a very open market. Mr Brightside previously finished fourth in the Cox Plate before contesting the Champions Mile. Antino finished in second place, just 0.46L off the pace.

Filling in the final minor placing was Fangirl, who was 0.92L off Mr Brightside. In the end, the 2024 Champions Mile was run in a time of 1:36.02 and there was a total of just 7.08L that split the first and last runners across the finishing post.

Here’s where the entire field in the Champions Mile finished:

Another year, another epic edition of the Champions Mile. See how the entire race unfolded in the video below:

Over the years, we’ve seen some pretty epic Champions Mile winners and we’d love to display them all in the table, but we are focusing on the more recent winners. All the recent Champions Mile winners are below:

As one of the most popular races on the Australian calendar, we’ve noticed that many people have questions about the Champions Mile. We’ve gone through and found some of the most common questions and answered them in our Champions Mile FAQs section.