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

The Champions Stakes, registered as the Mackinnon Stakes, is one of the biggest races on the Australian calendar and takes place during a very important time of the year. The race is held the same week as the Melbourne Cup and is also run at Flemington Racecourse, truly cementing Flemington as one of the top tracks in the country.

The race recently switched dates as it was previously run on Victoria Derby Day, but now runs on Champions Day. This was part of sweeping changes by Racing Victoria for the 2016 Spring Racing Carnival. The Melbourne Cup Carnival, which spans across four days, comes to a close on Champions Day, which includes the Champions Stakes.

Some of the other races that take place on the same day at Flemington Racecourse include; the Champions Sprint and the Champions Mile. There are also two other key races to take place on the same day, but at Rosehill Racecourse which are the Golden Gift and The Five Diamonds.

The team here at OnlyRacing.com.au has every aspect of the Champions Stakes covered. From horse racing tips to form guide information and everything in between, we are your one-stop shop. We also are constantly updating this page as more information comes to hand, so you’ll always be in the know with OnlyRacing.

One of the things about the Champions Stakes that draws a lot of eyeballs is the prize money. There’s a cool $3 million on the line for this race which is split between the top finishers. The exact prize money breakdown is below:

Each year, our experts work around the clock to provide some of the best Champions Stakes tips going around. If you’re into your free horse racing tips, then you’ll love OnlyRacing because we don’t just provide tips for all the key horse races on the calendar, but we also provide Flemington tips as well.

It’s not race week just yet, so we are holding off on our Champions Stakes tips. When race week rolls around, the final field will be confirmed and when we know which runners will take part in the race, we can crunch all the important numbers. In the end, we will provide our best bet, next best and best roughie, so there’s something for everyone.

While you’re here, let’s take a look at the Champions Stakes tips for the race in 2024:

Champions Stakes Best Bet - Via Sistina

This one practically picks itself and it is the first real favourite in a Group 1 race I’ve seen in what feels like forever. Could it be anyone other than Via Sistina? No, not really! We do see some big names in this race, including the 2023 Melbourne Cup winner, Without A Fight, along with the 2023 winner of this race, Atishu, but there’s only one way this one goes.

You’re not really getting a lot of value for the mare, but she is currently coming off back-to-back Group 1 victories in the Turnbull Stakes and the Cox Plate. At PlayUp, she is the current $1.65 favourite, so maybe include her in some exotic plays? She draws perfectly, gets JMac on board and I think the race is set up for her just like it was in the Cox Plate.

Champions Stakes Next Best - Atishu 

The winner of the Champions Stakes last year just seems to have found one better. Currently, she is the only other runner in the race that is listed in single-digit odds, at $7.50 with PlayUp. Atishu has to be respected though, she is on the seven-day back-up after taking out the Empire Rose Stakes by 0.2L in Flemington last Saturday.

The 2,000m she gets here looks to be no problem and the three-time Group 1 winning mare will likely be the one that pounces if Via Sistina is not on her game. Will likely look to sit near the rear of the field, so she will have one shot to make it all count, but won’t do any work jumping from barrier one.

Champions Stakes Best Roughie - Royal Champion

When there’s a short-priced favourite, it means there are a lot of runners with big odds going around and I’m having a little throw at the stumps with this 7YO gelding. The import has just started to get his footing in Australia and is tackling the Champions Stakes third-up at big odds. We are currently getting $20 for Royal Champion at PlayUp.

Fitness is almost always a major talking point with international runners and I think this is his perfect time to shine. He has been building up to this one and he gets up to the 2,000m for the first time Down Under. He has won three from six at the 2,000m, plus has placed in a couple of others. Craig Williams books the ride and I reckon he’s a place chance.

With a race that has such prominence as the Champions Stakes, it’s no wonder people are interested in betting. Betting on the Champions Stakes isn’t a new phenomenon, but there have been changes over the years that make it a whole lot easier. 

Betting apps make it very easy to bet on the go, no matter where you are, if you’ve got your phone and internet connection, you’ll be able to place your bets. It’s never been easier to bet on the Champions Stakes, but the question still remains: “Which betting site do you bet with?”.

These days, there are so many betting sites available that will have markets for the Champions Stakes, so it can be a bit tricky to choose the best one for you. We like to help you out though, so if you’re stuck, check out our bookie reviews page. On this page, we go through all the best bookies in Australia in great detail.

Remember, you can always choose more than one bookie as well. In fact, this is something we recommend as you can easily take advantage of the different odds, betting promotions and more that are on offer with various bookies. If value is on your mind, having accounts with multiple bookies is the best thing for you.

Bookies like PlayUp, SterlingParker and BetRight will also have a range of betting markets available for the Champions Stakes. Even the new betting sites in Australia will cover this Group 1 race, so don’t ignore a new betting site just because they aren’t as established as some of the others in the market.

Some of the main markets that will be available to bet on for the upcoming Champions Stakes include:

• Quaddie
• Quinella
• Trifecta
• First Four
• Fixed Win/ Place 
• Multi Bet

As the Champions Stakes is a major race, some bookies might even offer special markets and promotions for the race. So, make sure you keep your eyes peeled because you never know when an extra bit of value is going to pop up!

The 2025 Champions Stakes field is yet to be confirmed. We have to wait until race week for all the juicy details to be released. While we don’t yet know which runners will line up if history is anything to go by, we will see a high-quality field, so make sure you check back here during race week.

Well before the field is determined, bookies will release their Futures Markets, which can give you an indication of the runners that may be targeting this race and therefore more likely to make an appearance. If the odds are available for the Champions Stakes, you can find them in our “Odds” section below.

We can’t tell you which runners will line up for the 2025 Champions Stakes just yet. Instead, let’s take a look back at the runners who took part in the race in 2024:

For the 2024 edition of the Champions Stakes, we saw a field of 12 runners confirmed. There weren’t any emergencies listed either, so with the pre-race scratching of Kingswood, this brought the final field size down to just 11 runners.

If you haven’t been around horse racing for a while, it’s important to note that scratchings are a fairly common occurrence. From a Tuesday maiden to a Group 1 race, like the Champions Stakes, scratchings can happen. There are several different reasons why a runner may be scratched and they can happen at any time, usually out of the blue as well.

When looking into the Champions Stakes field, another aspect to note is the barrier draw. The barrier each runner jumps from can have a fairly significant impact on how the race plays out, especially if there’s a sizable field. The layout of the track also comes into play here, so if it’s a narrow track with sharp turns, the barrier draw may have more importance.

It is always a good idea to have all the facts available to you before placing any bets on the Champions Stakes. This is why many turn to the Champions Stakes form guide, as it can provide valuable insights into the type of runner that is usually winning this race. The form guide can present patterns that can indicate the future winner.

While putting together the Champions Stakes form guide can seem like a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be. Especially considering that the team here at OnlyRacing have already done all the heavy lifting for you. We’ve gone through and found all the key form indicators that you should know about the Champions Stakes. All the most important information is here in this section.

The recent shift in the date of the Champions Stakes has resulted in a change in the ideal lead-up races and overall goals of runners coming into this Group 1. Now, the Champions Stakes no longer serves as a major lead-up run into the Melbourne Cup. 

Instead, the race now attracts runners from the Cox Plate, which is run two weeks before the Champions Stakes. The data backs this up as since 2008, we have seen 11 Champions Stakes winners come through the Cox Plate. In 2024, Via Sistina completed the Cox Plate - Champions Stakes double.

It also seems like a good idea to avoid runners who have had their lead-up race in Sydney. There has only been one Champions Stakes winner in over 30 years to come through a Sydney lead-up race, which was Desert War in 2006.

Despite winning in more recent times, mares don’t have the best record in the Champions Stakes. Since 2001, we’ve only seen five mares win this race, which include; Via Sistina (2024), Atishu (2023), Arcadia Queen (2020), Magic Wand (2019) and La Bella Dama (2001). 

It may also pay to avoid younger horses as well, only six 3YOs have won the Champions Stakes, with the most recent being back Casual Pass in 2003. The older horses seem to have a stranglehold on this race, with 13 of the 20 winners being 6YOs or older.

The Champions Stakes has been around for a while now and it is one of the key Group One races on the calendar which means we always see some of the best horses from Australia and right around the world compete. While we always see some top-notch horses, only the best of the best can go on to win the Champions Stakes.

With so many editions of the Champions Stakes, it has made our job of picking the handful of horses to feature in this section fairly difficult. We’ve had to make some tough calls, but we think we’ve found the top Champions Stakes horses to feature. All the details are below, so you can see for yourself if you agree.

Ajax - 1938

Ajax’s career was highlighted by 18 consecutive wins. He finished his career with an amazing record of 46:36-7-2 and this included victories in the Cox Plate, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Newmarket Handicap and the Memsie Stakes. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2004 and has a Group 2 race named in his honour.

Comic Court - 1949 & 1950

Comic Court was a back-to-back winner of the Champions Stakes, winning the race in 1949 and then again in 1950. An Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Comic Court won some of the biggest Group 1 races on the calendar including the likes of the Melbourne Cup, the Victoria Derby, the Might and Power Stakes and the Turnbull Stakes.

Tulloch - 1960

One of Australia’s greatest-ever stayers, Tulloch was victorious in the 1960 Champions Stakes. He finished his career with a record of 53:36-12-4 and has been inducted into both the Australian and New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Most notably, Tulloch won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (on three occasions) and the Cox Plate.

Empire Rose - 1988

The 1988 winner of the Champions Stakes, Empire Rose was one of the few mares to ever win the race. She won the biggest race of them all, the Melbourne Cup in the same year as her Champions Stakes win and she even has a Group 1 race named after her, the Empire Rose Stakes, which is run at Flemington Racecourse.

Zaaki - 2021 & 2022

More recently now, Zaaki is another back-to-back winner of the Champions Stakes, winning in 2021 and again the following year in 2022. Zaaki was named the 2021/22 Australian Champion Middle Distance Racehorse and has won races like the Doomben Cup, the Underwood Stakes and The Q22.

An important piece of the puzzle, the Champions Stakes odds tell you which runners have the greatest chance of winning the race, according to a certain bookie. If you’re shopping around for the best deals, you’ll notice that different bookies may have different odds for the same runner.

This happens all the time because bookies have different algorithms that influence the odds. It is the best way to find more value and get more bang for your buck, so if you have some extra time before the race, it is certainly recommended that you check with multiple bookies for the best odds. 

As we get closer and closer to the Champions Stakes, there will be more horse racing markets available to choose from. The first market that will open up is the Fixed Win/ Place market. This market will usually open up a month or so from the event and it’s a great time to bet as you’ll likely get higher odds for runners compared to betting the day of the race.

It’s also a good idea to check what stage the market is in as well. If you see the market is “Before Noms” this means you’ll get your stake back if your chosen runner doesn’t make the final field. If you choose to bet when the market is listed as “All-In” you won’t be given such luxury.

We will list the 2025 Champions Stakes odds when we can. In the meantime, you can check out the odds for each runner in the 2024 race here:

*Odds correct as of 07/11/2024.

There has been a lot of movement of the name and date of the Champions Stakes over its history. The race, which is officially registered as the MacKinnon Stakes, was named in honour of Lauchlan Kenneth Scobie, who was the former chairman of the Victoria Racing Club.

A race known as the Melbourne Stakes occupied the spot of the Champions Stakes for a time. However, in 1937, the Victoria Racing Club moved this race to earlier in Spring, paving the way for what would become the Turnbull Stakes. 

As a replacement, the Champions Stakes was established. The first winner of the Champions Stakes was The Trump. The Champions Stakes was run on the first Saturday of the Melbourne Cup Carnival (also known as Victoria Derby Day) from 1937 until 2016. The Melbourne Cup Carnival is probably one of the most recognisable horse racing carnivals in Australia.

In 2016, Racing Victoria rejigged some races, including the Champions Stakes and now the race takes place on the final Saturday of the Melbourne Cup Carnival (also known as Stakes Day). Between 2016 and 2017, the Champions Stakes went by the name of the Emirates Stakes, due to sponsorship.

Over the years, we’ve seen some amazing racehorses compete in the Champions Stakes and there have even been a few that have completed the Champions Stakes - Melbourne Cup double in the same year. Some of those horses include:

• Peter Pan
• Rain Lover
• Empire Rose
• Let’s Elope

As soon as the winner crosses the finish line in the Champions Stakes, people who weren’t lucky enough to catch the race live will be looking for the results. Well, you’ve come to the right place here at OnlyRacing! We’ve got you sorted with the latest Champions Stakes results including a table with the finishing order of the entire field and a race replay.

In 2024, we saw the pre-race favourite, Via Sistina, win the Champions Stakes. Via Sistina put in a dominant performance in her lead-up race, the Cox Plate, before winning the Champions Stakes by 2.75L. Atishu, who was on the second line of betting, finished second.

Filling in the final minor placing was Without A Fight, who was 4.75L off the leader. In the end, the 2024 Champions Stakes was run in a time of 2:01.86 and there was a total of 10.82L that split the first and last runners across the finishing line.

The details of where each runner finished in the Champions Stakes can be found here:

If you prefer to relive all the action as the Champions Stakes unfolded, we’ve got the video of the race here:

Not everyone can be a winner and there’s only one winner each year in the Champions Stakes (unless there is a dead heat, that is). If you want to see all the Champions Stakes winners who have graced the honour roll, we’ve got you sorted:

We’ve got one find section to whet your appetite before you become a Champions Stakes expert. Our Champions Stakes FAQs section covers all the most common questions people have about the race.