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2026 VRC Champions Stakes Preview
Scheduled to take place in either late October or early November of each year at the Flemington racecourse is the Champions Stakes, a race that was previously named after the former chairman of the Victoria Racing Club, Lauchlan Kenneth Scobie MacKinnon, as the MacKinnon Stakes.
The race takes place on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival as part of three 'Champions' races, run on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup and is the final G1 of the carnival. It is open to runners aged three or older and is run over a distance of 2,000m.
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VRC Champions Stakes Information:
- VRC Champions Stakes Past Winners
- VRC Champions Stakes Trainer Statistics
- VRC Champions Stakes Jockey Statistics
You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Races Covered during the Melbourne Cup Carnival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the VRC Champions Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 10 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2017, when the race had an over-round of 112%. The race in 2022 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 119%, whilst on average over the last 10 renewals of the VRC Champions Stakes, the over-round has been 116%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £116 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 VRC Champions Stakes Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the VRC Champions Stakes Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run VRC Champions Stakes races over the last 10 renewals:
- Tosen Stardom (2:01.22) in 2017
- Magic Wand (2:01.82) in 2019
- Via Sistina (2:01.86) in 2024
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 10 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the VRC Champions Stakes next time out, then you would have backed a total of 0 winners. Backing all 9 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -9.00. See which other runners are being backed today on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 10 renewals, a time of 2:01.22 was set by Tosen Stardom in 2017, trained by Darren Weir and ridden by Damian Lane, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2025 when Via Sistina won in a time of 2:07.91 for trainer Chris Waller, who booked James McDonald in the saddle.
VRC Champions Stakes Past Winners
Here are the VRC Champions Stakes' past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. Also detailed are the stall from which the horse came and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the VRC Champions Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 2:07.91 | Via Sistina (IRE) 7yo 9-0 (10 of 11) 4/5F | James McDonald Chris Waller (AUS) |
| 2024 2:01.86 | Via Sistina (IRE) 6yo 9-0 (3 of 11) 3/5F | James McDonald Chris Waller (AUS) |
| 2023 2:02.01 | Atishu (NZ) 6yo 9-0 (5 of 11) 15/2 | James McDonald Chris Waller (AUS) |
| 2022 2:02.00 | Zaaki (GB) 7yo 9-4 (1 of 11) 7/1 | Jamie Kah Annabel Neasham (AUS) |
| 2021 2:02.94 | Zaaki (GB) 6yo 9-4 (8 of 10) 5/4F | James McDonald Annabel Neasham (AUS) |
| 2020 2:03.53 | Arcadia Queen (AUS) 5yo 9-0 (5 of 9) 29/20F | Luke Currie Grant & Alana Williams (AUS) |
| 2019 2:01.82 | Magic Wand (IRE) 4yo 9-0 (9 of 16) 19/5 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2018 2:02.31 | Trap For Fools (AUS) 5yo 9-4 (8 of 10) 25/1 | John Allen Jarrod McLean (AUS) |
| 2017 2:01.22 | Tosen Stardom (JPN) 6yo 9-4 (4 of 12) 11/2 | Damian Lane Darren Weir (AUS) |
| 2016 2:02.49 | Awesome Rock (AUS) 5yo 9-4 (8 of 12) 17/1 | Stephen Baster Leon & Troy Corstens (AUS) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the VRC Champions Stakes have been based:
- AUS: 9 winners with an additional 17 placings from 96 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 4 runners
- NZ: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 6 runners
- GB: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 4 runners
- JPN: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2025 VRC Champions Stakes Replay
VRC Champions Stakes Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the VRC Champions Stakes over the last 10 renewals is Chris Waller, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Atishu (2023) and Via Sistina (2024 & 2025). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the VRC Champions Stakes is Annabel Neasham (2 wins).
Here are some of the top VRC Champions Stakes trainer statistics over the last 10 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Waller | 14-3-4 | -2.10 | -4.46 |
| Annabel Neasham | 5-2-4 | +5.25 | +4.40 |
| Darren Weir | 5-1-2 | +1.50 | +0.16 |
| A P O'Brien | 2-1-1 | +2.80 | +0.90 |
| Jarrod McLean | 1-1-1 | +25.00 | +15.00 |
| Leon & Troy Corstens | 1-1-1 | +17.00 | +10.20 |
| Grant & Alana Williams | 1-1-1 | +1.45 | +0.87 |
| David A & B Hayes & Tom Dabernig | 8-0-1 | -8.00 | -5.90 |
| James Cummings | 7-0-3 | -7.00 | -1.30 |
| Anthony & Sam Freedman | 7-0-2 | -7.00 | -3.90 |
VRC Champions Stakes Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the VRC Champions Stakes over the last 10 renewals is James McDonald, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Zaaki (2021), Atishu (2023) and Via Sistina (2024 & 2025).
Here are some of the top VRC Champions Stakes jockey statistics over the last 10 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| James McDonald | 8-4-5 | +6.15 | +3.44 |
| John Allen | 5-1-2 | +21.00 | +12.20 |
| Damian Lane | 5-1-1 | +1.50 | -0.70 |
| Jamie Kah | 4-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.20 |
| Luke Currie | 2-1-1 | +0.45 | -0.13 |
| Stephen Baster | 1-1-1 | +17.00 | +10.20 |
| Ryan Moore | 1-1-1 | +3.80 | +1.90 |
| Craig A Williams | 8-0-1 | -8.00 | -7.14 |
| Damien Oliver | 6-0-2 | -6.00 | +3.60 |
| Mark Zahra | 6-0-2 | -6.00 | -3.35 |
2026 VRC Champions Stakes Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 5, 5, 7, 2, 1, 1, 4, 9, 1, 1
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well. The trend information is based on the available information on the Racing Post in terms of previous runs, etc.
- 10 / 10 (60%) - Carried 126 - 131lbs (Last Win)
- 10 / 10 (63%) - Achieved an RPR of 111+ (Last 3)
- 10 / 10 (64%) - Furthest Won 1m1f - 1m4f
- 10 / 10 (68%) - Carried 121 - 128lbs (Debut)
- 10 / 10 (71%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 10 / 10 (73%) - Ran in 2 - 17 races (Trip)
- 10 / 10 (74%) - Furthest Placed 1m2f - 1m4½f
- 10 / 10 (74%) - Highest Won is not G3/LST/Cl3-4
- 10 / 10 (75%) - Not on HY/GS/FM/STD-SLW/STD (Debut)
- 10 / 10 (77%) - Ran in 2 - 18 races (Going)
- 10 / 10 (77%) - Ran in 5 - 10 races (Season)
- 10 / 10 (81%) - Within the first 9 of the market
- 10 / 10 (81%) - Sex is not Colt
- 10 / 10 (82%) - Ran in 8 - 39 races (Career)
- 10 / 10 (82%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl2-3 (LTO)
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2026 VRC Champions Stakes Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2026 renewal of the VRC Champions Stakes will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually made 48 hours before the race.
VRC Champions Stakes Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 5+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +17.70, is when runners ran on Good ground on debut.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners wore blinkers; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-26.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 10 (9,8) [11 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 3 (1,9) [11 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 5 (3,6) [11 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 1 (11,2) [11 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 8 (2,5) [10 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the VRC Champions Stakes is Moonee Valley; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Moonee Valley last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Flemington; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Flemington last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 5 winners from a total of 92 runners, while female runners have produced 5 winners from a total of 21 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the VRC Champions Stakes:
- Fastnet Rock (3 Wins)
- Leroidesanimaux (2 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the VRC Champions Stakes; that stallion is Teofilo, who has failed to produce a winner from 6 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 10 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Trap For Fools in 2018, winning for Jarrod McLean at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of John Allen. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 10 renewals, there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. All figures and trends above, such as the horse's previous runs, are based on the information that is available on the Racing Post.
Races Covered during the Melbourne Cup Carnival
Here are the other races that take place at the Flemington Racetrack during the Melbourne Cup Carnival that we also cover in our blogs.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Coolmore Stud Stakes | Tentyris (AUS) 3yo - 19/10 | Anthony & Sam Freedman Mark Zahra |
| Empire Rose Stakes | Pride Of Jenni (AUS) 8yo - 19/5 | Ciaron Maher Declan Bates |
| Victoria Derby | Observer (AUS) 3yo - 29/20 | Ciaron Maher Mark Zahra |
| Melbourne Cup | Half Yours (AUS) 5yo - 8/1 | Tony McEvoy & Calvin McEvoy Jamie Melham |
| Crown Oaks | Strictly Business (AUS) 3yo - 13/2 | Thomas D Carberry John Allen |
| VRC Champions Mile | Ceolwulf (NZ) 5yo - 4/1 | Joseph Pride Chad Schofield |
| VRC Champions Sprint | Giga Kick (AUS) 6yo - 4/1 | Clayton Douglas Mark Zahra |
| VRC Champions Stakes | Via Sistina (IRE) 7yo - 4/5 | Chris Waller James McDonald |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this VRC Champions Stakes Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for International racing.
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