Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2025 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.
VRC Champions Stakes Information:
- VRC Champions Stakes Past Winners
- VRC Champions Stakes Trainer Statistics
- VRC Champions Stakes Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Flemington tips on the day of the race, do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist or are they predicting other runners? 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.
How competitive is the VRC Champions Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2012 when the race had an over-round of 108%. 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 20 renewals of the VRC Champions Stakes, the over-round has been 115%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £115 which is bet.
VRC Champions Stakes Trends:
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 20 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 19 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of -19.00. Before placing your bet on the 2025 VRC Champions Stakes see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2010 renewal when So You Think from Bart Cummings under the guidance of Steven Arnold, won in a time of 2:04.92, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Tosen Stardom, trained by Darren Weir and ridden by Damian Lane set the quickest time of 2:01.22 in the 2017 renewal.
These are the top three quickest-run VRC Champions Stakes over the last 20 renewals:
- Tosen Stardom (2:01.22) in 2017
- Alcopop (2:01.26) in 2012
- Lad Of The Manor (2:01.72) in 2005
VRC Champions Stakes Past Winners
Here are the VRC Champions Stakes' past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won along with the age & weight of the horse. Also detailed is the stall where the horse came from 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 2015 2:03.56 | Gailo Chop (FR) 4yo 9-4 (4 of 13) 7/1 | Ben Melham A De Watrigant (FR) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the VRC Champions Stakes have been based:
- AUS: 17 winners with an additional 31 placings from 186 runners
- GB: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 8 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 4 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
- NZ: 0 winners with an additional 4 placings from 15 runners
- SIN: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 6 runners
- HK: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 6 runners
- JPN: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
- GER: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
VRC Champions Stakes Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the VRC Champions Stakes over the last 20 renewals with Chris Waller, Bart Cummings, Gai Waterhouse and Annabel Neasham having all won the race two times. Chris Waller winners have been with Atishu (2023) and Via Sistina (2024). Bart Cummings winners have been with Sirmione (2007) and So You Think (2010). Gai Waterhouse winners have been with Desert War (2006) and Theseo (2008). Annabel Neasham winners have been with Zaaki (2021 & 2022).
Here are some of the top VRC Champions Stakes trainer statistics over the last 20 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 | 24-2-5 | -13.90 | -12.84 |
| Bart Cummings | 8-2-4 | +54.57 | +32.84 |
| Gai Waterhouse | 7-2-4 | +6.00 | +4.60 |
| Annabel Neasham | 5-2-4 | +5.25 | +4.40 |
| Darren Weir | 6-1-2 | +0.50 | -0.84 |
| Michael Moroney | 4-1-2 | +3.00 | +2.40 |
| Paul Beshara | 3-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.60 |
| Daniel Morton | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.50 |
| A P O'Brien | 2-1-1 | +2.80 | +0.90 |
| Jarrod McLean | 1-1-1 | +25.00 | +15.00 |
VRC Champions Stakes Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the VRC Champions Stakes over the last 20 renewals is James McDonald who has won the race three times with those three winners coming from Zaaki (2021), Atishu (2023) and Via Sistina (2024). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the VRC Champions Stakes is Damien Oliver (2 wins). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the VRC Champions Stakes, Kerrin McEvoy has ridden 13 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top VRC Champions Stakes jockey statistics over the last 20 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 | 9-3-5 | +3.35 | +2.26 |
| Damien Oliver | 13-2-6 | +1.00 | +8.90 |
| Craig A Williams | 12-1-3 | -6.00 | -5.34 |
| Nash Rawiller | 9-1-3 | -3.00 | -1.90 |
| Ben Melham | 7-1-1 | +1.00 | -1.80 |
| John Allen | 5-1-2 | +21.00 | +12.20 |
| Stephen Baster | 5-1-3 | +13.00 | +8.70 |
| Damian Lane | 5-1-2 | +1.50 | +1.30 |
| Steven Arnold | 5-1-1 | -3.43 | -3.66 |
| Jamie Kah | 4-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.20 |
2025 VRC Champions Stakes Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 4, 13, 9, 7, 1, (3, 5), 3, 6, 5, 12, 5, 5, 7, 2, 1, 1, 4, 9, 1
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number 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.
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Break of 7 - 147 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 108+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Had 1 - 6 placings (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Ran in 4 - 11 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Ran in 2 - 19 races (Going)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl2 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 5 - 39 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 3 - 10 races (Season)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Not in CAN/DEU/ITA/NZL/SCO/SGP (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Furthest Placed 1m - 1m4½f
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Carried 111 - 129lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No more than -4lbs (Vs Max Weight)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - In a field of 8 - 20 (Debut)
- 19 / 20 (85%) - In a field of 5 - 18 (Last Win)
- 18 / 20 (45%) - Within the first 5 of the market
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Flemington racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the VRC Champions Stakes. If you are a newcomer to horse racing betting, then the number of types of bets can be scary! Don't let that put you off though, head over to this Types Of Horse Racing Bet article and have a read, you will then have a better knowledge of betting on racing in the future and there are plenty of other articles in the OLBG Betting School too.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, It is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the VRC Champions Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
VRC Champions Stakes Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor which had produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +48.20 is when runners ran on Good ground on debut.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 places in the past 180 days, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-44.
Here are the most recent winning draws along with the further placings in brackets:
- 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]
- 2020: Winner in 5 (8,6) [9 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the VRC Champions Stakes is Moonee Valley, there has been a total number of 13 winners of this race who ran at Moonee Valley last time out. The next best courses which have produced the second most winners are Flemington and Caulfield, there has been a total number of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 16 winners from a total of 195 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 4 winners from a total of 36 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the VRC Champions Stakes:
- Fastnet Rock (2 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 7 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Sirmione in 2007, winning for Bart Cummings at odds of 60/1 under the guidance of Peter Mertens. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2025 VRC Champions Stakes remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page. All figures and trends above, such as the horse's previous runs are based on the information that is available on the racing post.
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this VRC Champions Stakes Preview are at hand, Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for International racing.
Darren Brett
Tipster Competition Manager
Andy Powell
Content Editor
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 with blogs.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Coolmore Stud Stakes Victoria Derby Day | Switzerland (AUS) 3yo - 9/2 | Chris Waller James McDonald |
| Empire Rose Stakes Victoria Derby Day | Atishu (NZ) 7yo - 13/5 | Chris Waller James McDonald |
| Victoria Derby Victoria Derby Day | Goldrush Guru (AUS) 3yo - 7/1 | Andrew Gluyas Jamie Kah |
| Melbourne Cup Melbourne Cup Day | Knights Choice (AUS) 5yo - 90/1 | John Symons & Sheila Laxon Robbie Dolan |
| Crown Oaks Kennedy Oaks Day | Treasurethe Moment (AUS) 3yo - 21/10 | Matt Laurie Damian Lane |
| VRC Champions Mile Champions Stakes Day | Mr Brightside (NZ) 7yo - 4/1 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes Craig A Williams |
| VRC Champions Sprint Champions Stakes Day | Sunshine In Paris (AUS) 5yo - 4/1 | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald James McDonald |
| VRC Champions Stakes Champions Stakes Day | Via Sistina (IRE) 6yo - 3/5 | Chris Waller James McDonald |
