Champions Sprint
Champions Sprint
Group One Betting Guide
| Date: | Saturday November 8, 2025 |
| Location: | Flemington Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria |
| Prize Money: | $3,000,000 |
| Distance: | 1200m |
The Champions Sprint, is a Group 1 thoroughbred race for horses three years and older. It operates under a weight for age restriction and is raced over a distance of 1200m at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on the last day of the VRC Spring Carnival. Connections compete for a total prize pool of $3 million
The Champions Sprint is seen as one of the major sprints on the Australian racing calendar.
Over the years the Champions Sprint has changed names more often than not. It started out in 1960 as the Craven “A” Stakes as a principal race. In 1979 it changed to the Pure-Pak Stakes and became a Group 1 race. After several other name changes in 2008 it became known as the Patinack Farm Classic, VRC Sprint Classic and nowadays the Champions Sprint.
2025 Champions Sprint betting odds
Odds for the 2025 Champions Sprint are currently unavailable.
Best bookies to bet on the Champions Sprint
When betting on the Champions Sprint, we like to trust our action with one of the following online bookies because they have a great reputation for safety, promotions and terrific odds on races.
Neds Code GETON
18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. "GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms.
BlondeBet Signup Code GETON
18+ Gamble Responsibly. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH? full terms.
Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING
18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms.
Recommended!
18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms.
Bet365 Signup Code GETON
18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms.
18+ Gamble responsibly. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place. Full terms.
Latest Champions Sprint News
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald have taken out the Group 1 Champions Sprint with Sunshine In Paris, thanks to a ...
Check out the full race replays, results and exotic dividends for VRC Champions Stakes Day 2024 at Flemington Racecourse on ...
Check out HorseBetting's free race-by-race preview of Champions Stakes Day 2024 on Saturday, November 9 at Flemington Racecourse ...
The Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) has attracted a quality field of 12 set burn the turf down the Flemington ...
Ben Melham and Ciaron Maher have combined with the speedy Estriella to take out the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m) ...
Anthony & Sam Freedman have taken out the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes with Right To Party after Jye McNeil gave ...
Most successful jockeys and trainers
James McDonald is the only jockey to have won the Champions Sprint four times with the most recent on Sunshine In Paris in 2024.
Five jockeys have won the Champions Sprint two times with Darren Gauci, Michael Clarke, Jimmy Cassidy, Greg Childs, and Stephen King having all done it.
Chris Waller, Peter Moody and Bart Cummings sit atop the training ranks with three wins each in the feature, with Moody’s record of a second and two thirds from 15 starts one of the better ones in the race’s history.
2025 Champions Sprint Final Field
HorseBetting will update this page when the 2025 Champions Sprint final field is released.
Previous Champions Sprint Fields
Plenty of Group 1 sprinting sensations have won the Champions Sprint. Check the previous fields of the Champions Sprint out here.
1. Giga Kick (7)
- T: Clayton Douglas
- J: Mark Zahra
- W: 58.5kg
- F: 245×3
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Scissor Kick
- Dam: Rekindled Applause (GB)
2. Overpass (2)
- T: Bjorn Baker
- J: Joshua Parr
- W: 58.5kg
- F: 1×110
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Vancouver
- Dam: Walkway
3. I Am Unstoppable (11)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Dylan Browne McMonagle
- W: 58.5kg
- F: 22×98
- Age: 4YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: I Am Invincible
- Dam: Satin Slipper
4. Baraqiel (1)
- T: Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin
- J: Ben Allen
- W: 58.5kg
- F: 11331
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Snitzel
- Dam: Angel of Mercy
5. Bella Nipotina (12)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Craig Williams
- W: 56.5kg
- F: 1132x
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Pride of Dubai
- Dam: Bella Orfana
6. Sunshine In Paris (9)
- T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
- J: James McDonald
- W: 56.5kg
- F: 251×4
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Invader
- Dam: Zenaida (NZ)
7. Lady Laguna (6)
- T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
- J: Nash Rawiller
- W: 56.5kg
- F: 367×0
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Overshare
- Dam: Catalina de Lago (NZ)
8. Estriella (4)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Ben Melham
- W: 56.5kg
- F: 174×5
- Age: 4YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: I Am Invincible
- Dam: Madrigals
9. Right To Party (3)
- T: Anthony & Sam Freedman
- J: Jye McNeil
- W: 56.5kg
- F: 14111
- Age: 4YO
- Colour: Grey
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Zoustar
- Dam: De Groove
10. Stretan Angel (5)
- T: Phillip Stokes
- J: Luke Nolen
- W: 56.5kg
- F: 836×2
- Age: 4YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Harry Angel (IRE)
- Dam: Sretan
11. Private Life (8)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Damian Lane
- W: 53.5kg
- F: 141×1
- Age: 3YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Colt
- Sire: Written Tycoon
- Dam: Aliyana Tilde
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Front Page Matthew Dale Tyler Schiller 7 58.5kg 2 Buenos Noches Matthew Smith Blake Shinn 11 58.5kg 3 Lofty Strike Julius Sandhu Damien Oliver 4 58.5kg 4 Star Patrol Clinton McDonald Ben Melham 6 58.5kg 5 Airman Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jye McNeil 10 58.5kg 6 Bella Nipotina Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Craig Williams 1 56.5kg 7 In Secret James Cummings James McDonald 5 56.5kg 8 Imperatriz Mark Walker Opie Bosson 8 56.5kg 9 Espiona Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 3 56.5kg 10 Asfoora Henry Dwyer Mitchell Aitken 9 56.5kg 11 C’est Magique Grahame Begg Michael Dee 2 56.5kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Nature Strip Chris Waller James McDonald 12 58.5kg 2 Masked Crusader Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Damien Thornton 11 58.5kg 3 The Inferno Cliff Brown John Allen 1 58.5kg 4 Rothfire Robert Heathcote Luke Nolen 8 58.5kg 5 Paulele James Cummings Brenton Avdulla 9 58.5kg 6 Front Page Geoff Duryea Ben Melham 3 58.5kg 7 The Astrologist Leon & Troy Corstens Nash Rawiller 10 58.5kg 8 Baller Tony Gollan Mark Zahra 5 58.5kg 9 Bella Nipotina Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Jamie Kah 4 56.5kg 10 September RunChris WallerDamien Oliver1356.5kg11 Roch ‘N’ Horse Mike Moroney Jamie Mott 6 56.5kg 12 Levante Ken & Bev Kelso Michael Dee 14 56.5kg 13 Argentia Anthony & Sam Freedman Tim Clark 15 56.5kg 14 Giga Kick Clayton Douglas Craig Williams 7 53.5kg 15 Lofty Strike Julius Sandhu Craig Newitt 2 53.5kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Nature Strip Chris Waller James McDonald 2 58.5kg 2 Streets Of Avalon Shane Nichols Zac Spain 1 58.5kg 3 Splintex Mark Newnham Kerrin McEvoy 5 58.5kg 4 Samizdat Chris & Michael Gangemi Damian Lane 3 58.5kg 5 September Run Chris Waller Craig Williams 4 56.5kg 6 Bella Nipotina Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Jye McNeil 6 56.5kg 7 Swats That Leon & Troy Corstens Hugh Bowman 9 56.5kg 8 Shaquero Chris Waller Craig Newitt 8 53.5kg 9 Ranch Hand Chris Waller Brett Prebble 7 53.5kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Santa Ana Lane Anthony & Sam Freedman Ben Melham 7 58.5kg 2 Nature Strip Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 9 58.5kg 3 Bivouac James Cummings Glen Boss 6 58.5kg 4 Hey Doc Tony & Calvin McEvoy Luke Currie 3 58.5kg 5 Graff Danny O’Brien Damian Lane 1 58.5kg 6 Zoutori Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra Jamie Kah 4 58.5kg 7 Standout Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Craig Williams 8 58.5kg 8 Tofane Michael Moroney Jye McNeil 2 56.5kg 9 Libertini Anthony Cummings Damien Oliver 5 56.5kg 10 Fabergino Tiarnna Robertson Jordan Childs 10 56.5kg
2024 Champions Sprint result
1st – Sunshine In Paris (+400)
2nd – Right To Party (+540)
3rd – Bella Nipotina (-166.67)
Recent Champions Sprint runs
- Sunshine In Paris ($5.50) claimed her second Group 1 success of her career, following a barnstorming finish in the Champions Sprint at Flemington. For the ninth time at the Melbourne Cup Carnival, James McDonald pulled the right reign, this time on the Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald-trained mare, who was well backed with horse racing bookmakers and duly saluted in a tight photo finish. As expected, the 1200m contest was run at a solid tempo down the Flemington straight, with Overpass ($6.50) and Estriella ($23) leading the field as they all moved towards the outside rail to find the best ground. When the field hit the course proper with 450m to go, the leaders began to struggle, and Bella Nipotina ($4.20) took over with Baraqiel ($13). McDonald held a strong grip on the eventual winner as he was looking for a run between the tiring pacemakers, and Jye McNeil set off towards the inside of runners on Right To Party ($41). Right To Party sprinted quickly to join Bella Nipotina in the lead before McDonald found a gap at the 150m mark with his mount. In what was a driving finish, Sunshine In Paris launched late and got her head down on the line between the leading duo, defeating Right To Party and Bella Nipotina in that order.
- Imperatriz ($2.15) has remained undefeated throughout the spring after taking out the Group 1 VRC Champions Sprint at her first look down the Flemington straight to claim her third Group 1 victory in a row in Melbourne. The Mark Walker-trained mare had won the Group 1 Moir Stakes and Group 1 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley in dominant fashion before going to Flemington on Saturday for her biggest test of the spring. The daughter of I Am Invincible has settled near the rear and led in her three starts this preparation but after Asfoora ($16.00) and Star Patrol ($19.00) took a sit, it left the race favourite with no choice but to settle behind Front Page ($23.00), who took a solid lead. As the field hit the track proper, Opie Bosson released the brakes on the favourite and she took the lead, but for the first time this campaign, she had company on her inside as Buenos Noches ($14.00) and In Secret ($3.40) went with her. Buenos Noches got within half a length of the star mare, but in the final 100m, the class of Imperatriz shone through as she held him off to claim victory.
- Having won the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at 100/1 in the autumn, the Mike Moroney-trained managed to get the better of the Chris Waller-trained Nature Strip down the infamous ‘Flemington Six’. Having settled just off the speed over the six furlongs, the former Kiwi loomed up inside the final 200m and sprinted the better to cause yet another boilover at the highest level. The win capped off a standout spring for jockey Jamie Mott, who picked up his second Group 1 win, six weeks after claiming his first in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes aboard Callsign Mav.
- All eyes were on Nature Strip to make history and win this race twice alongside Legendary Black Caviar. Jumping out of the gates as a $1.28 favourite there wasn’t much doubt in the seven-year-old Gelding after the dominant performance in THE Everest win three weeks prior to the Darley Classic. Nature Strip and James McDonald showed the reason for it as he led the race the entire way winning by 3.25 Lengths, putting Nature Strip in the history books of winning the great sprint twice and making James McDonald the most successful jockey to compete in this race claiming his third win.
- It was a day to remember for Godolphin and Glen Boss when Bivouac displayed a stunning performance in the VRC Sprint. With Nature Strip setting up the race for a backmarker to finish over the top of him, it was Bivouac who displayed a stunning turn of foot to right past the Strip and claimed Group 1 success in fine fashion. It was all over bar the shouting with 150m with Bossy upright in the saddle in utter disbelief in Bivouac’s performance.
- Nature Strip and James McDonald gave their rivals next to no chance in the 2019 Darley Classic in a performance for the ages. Having jumped and led from the barriers, the Strip was being cuddled by JMac up until the 200m mark where he then went for home and managed to put some five-lengths on his closest rival. The win was arguably one of the most dominant performances in the history of this race.
- In what has become a common occurrence from Santa Ana Lane, the market slept on the gun sprinter heading into another Group 1. Last year’s winner Redzel firmed right in the market on the day of the race and travelled nicely but the race panned out beautifully for Santa, which burst to the front at the 50m and sustained a strong run to the line record a fourth Group 1 victory from a brave In Her Time.
- Redzel confirmed itself as the best sprinter in Australia after winning the 2017 Darley Classic. Fresh off winning The Everest at Randwick, the quality winner of 11 from 21 starts went straight to the lead on the outside rail and was never headed in the run to the line. Terravista produced a big effort for second and Chautauqua ran well for fourth.
- Peter Gelagotis scored his first win with Malaguerra in the Darley Classic after the horse changed stables during the winter. The five-year-old proved too strong for its rivals down the Flemington straight, winning at odds of $8.60 over the fast-finishing Spieth and Fell Swoop. Read full report.
- Delecation ($14) caused a bit of a boil-over by beating field favourite, Chautauqua ($1.90), who notched up consecutive second placings, and 2014’s winner Terravista ($9.50). Delecation was ridden by jockey James McDonald and trained by Chris Waller.
- Terravista ($10), ridden by Hugh Bowman and trained by Joe Pride, ploughed through a pack to defeat Chautauqua ($2.45) and Lankan Rupee ($5).
- Buffering ($11), trained by Robert Heathcote and ridden by Hugh Bowman managed to beat the “Boom Brothers”, Temple of Boom ($41) ran second, followed closely by Spirit of Boom in third.
Previous Champions Sprint winners
| Champions Sprint Past Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2024 | Sunshine In Paris | James McDonald | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald |
| 2023 | Imperatriz | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker |
| 2022 | Roch ‘N’ Horse | Jamie Mott | Mike Moroney |
| 2021 | Nature Strip | James McDonald | Chris Waller |
| 2020 | Bivouac | Glen Boss | James Cummings |
| 2019 | Nature Strip | James McDonald | Chris Waller |
| 2018 | Santa Ana Lane | Mark Zahra | Anthony Freedman |
| 2017 | Redzel | Kerrin McEvoy | Peter & Paul Snowden |
| 2016 | Malaguerra | Ben Melham | Peter Gelagotis |
| 2015 | Delectation | James McDonald | Chris Waller |
| 2014 | Terravista | Hugh Bowman | Joseph O’Brien |
| 2013 | Buffering | Damian Browne | Robert Heathcote |
| 2012 | Mental | Kerrin McEvoy | Peter Snowden |
| 2011 | Black Caviar | Luke Nolen | Peter Moody |
| 2010 | Black Caviar | Ben Melham | Peter Moody |
| 2009 | All Silent | Nicholas Hall | Grahame Begg |
| 2008 | Swick | Michael Rodd | Bart Cummings |
| 2007 | Miss Andretti | Craig Newitt | Lee Freedman |
| 2006 | Dance Hero | Chris Munce | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2005 | Glamour Puss | Steven King | Danny O’Brien |
| 2004 | Takeover Target | Jay Ford | Joe Janiak |
| 2003 | Ancient Song | Scott Seamer | Peter Moody |
| 2002 | Rubitano | Nash Rawiller | Brian Mayfield-Smith |
| 2001 | Sudurka | Danny Nikolic | Brian Mayfield-Smith |
| 2000 | Easy Rocking | Jim Cassidy | Ron Quinton |
Champions Sprint Past Winners Pre 2000
| Champions Sprint Past Winners Pre 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | ||
| 1999 | Pharein | ||
| 1998 | Flavour | ||
| 1997 | Notoire | ||
| 1996 | Gold Ace | ||
| 1995 | Brawny Spirit | ||
| 1994 | Hareeba | ||
| 1993 | Alishan | ||
| 1992 | Unspoken Word | ||
| 1991 | Final Card | ||
| 1990 | Planet Ruler | ||
| 1989 | Planet Ruler | ||
| 1988 | Special | ||
| 1987 | Sky Filou | ||
| 1986 | Taj Quillo | ||
| 1985 | Lord Ballina | ||
| 1984 | River Rough | ||
| 1983 | River Rough | ||
| 1982 | Forgone Conclusion | ||
| 1981 | Zegna | ||
| 1980 | Watney | ||
| 1979 | Rooney | ||
| 1978 | Always Welcome | ||
| 1977 | Galway Bay | ||
| 1976 | Maybe Mahal | ||
| 1975 | Miss Lockleys | ||
| 1974 | Scamanda | ||
| 1973 | Century | ||
| 1972 | Beaches | ||
| 1971 | Welsh Prince | ||
| 1970 | Dual Choice | ||
| 1969 | Vain | ||
| 1968 | Snub | ||
| 1967 | Iga Ninja | ||
| 1966 | Marmion | ||
| 1965 | Picca | ||
| 1964 | Star Of Heaven | ||
| 1963 | Ripa | ||
| 1962 | Samson | ||
| 1961 | Bengal Tiger | ||
| 1960 | Karina | ||
Subscribe
Login
0 Comments
Oldest