MVRC Champagne Stakes (Scarborough Stakes)

The MVRC Champagne Stakes is a Group 3 event held at Moonee Valley and runs as the Scarborough Stakes this year as part of Moir Stakes Night.

2023 Scarborough Stakes Results

  • 1st: #12 Coeur Volante
  • 2nd: #5 Inhibitions
  • 3rd: #6 Bossy Nic



The MVRC Champagne Stakes is a Group 3 1200m sprint conducted by the Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) and held at Moonee Valley Racecourse.

Known in 2023 as the Scarborough Stakes the race runs under the lights at Moonee Valley on Moir Stakes Night on a Friday evening in late September or early October. That same weekend features Saturday racing in Sydney for Epsom Handicap Day.

The MVRC Champagne Stakes is run under set weights conditions and entry is restricted to three year old fillies. Offering $200,000 prize money, the MVRC Champagne Stakes attracts a quality line-up of fillies that could go on to contest Flemington’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The 2020 Scarborough Stakes winner Swats That went on to run second against the boys in that spring’s Coolmore Stud Stakes results and also returned the following autumn for a third behind stablemate Nature Strip in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning in February of 2021.

Run over 1200m, the MVRC Champagne Stakes provides a viable alternative to the Golden Pendant at Royal Randwick the following day.

In 2019 the MVRC Champagne Stakes winner Loving Gaby went on to win that year’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes and the following year’s Group 1 William Reid Stakes.

The 2023 MVRC Scarborough Stakes ran on Friday September 29, 2023 as the Scarborough Stakes and saw the Michael Moroney-trained Coeur Volante ($10) get the gap and score a first-up upset at The Valley on Moir Stakes Night. 

MVRC Champagne Stakes (Scarborough Stakes)
Date: Friday September 29, 2023
Track: Moonee Valley Racecourse
Distance: 1200m
Race Type: 3YO Fillies – Set Weights
Status: Group 3
Prize Money: $200,000

2023 Scarborough Stakes Results

  • 1st: #12 Coeur Volante ($10)
  • 2nd: #5 Inhibitions
  • 3rd: #6 Bossy Nic

Michael Moroney’s progressive Proisir filly Coeur Volante ($10) got the gap just in time with jockey Blake Shinn guiding her through to charge home late and narrowly take out the 2023 Scarborough Stakes in a first-up upset.

Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price
1 12 COEUR VOLANTE (NZ) Michael Moroney Blake Shinn 3 56kg $10
2 5 INHIBITIONS James Cummings Michael Dee 0.2L 7 56kg $12
3 6 BOSSY NIC Tony & Calvin McEvoy Harry Coffey 0.95L 9 56kg $20
4 3 LAZZAGO Chris Waller Craig Williams 2.7L 4 56kg $21
5 2 SHESALLSHENANIGANS Simon Zahra Blaike McDougall 3.95L 1 56kg $4.20
6 11 ZOURION (NZ) Mark Walker Mark Zahra 4.7L 10 56kg $8
7 1 SKIRT THE LAW Tony Gollan Ryan Maloney 5.45L 5 56kg $3.60F
8 13 ANNIE’S ROSE Alexander Justice Jarrod Fry 6.95L 8 56kg $31
9 9 AUSTMARR Anthony & Sam Freedman Jordan Childs 9.45L 2 56kg $8
10 4 ULANOVA (NZ) Anthony & Sam Freedman Damien Oliver 10.7L 6 56kg $9.50
7 CIGAR FLICK Chris Waller Damian Lane 0
8 CHILLED Matt Laurie Ms Jamie Kah 0
10 SICILIAN Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Ms Winona Costin 0

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 MRC Champagne Stakes  / Scarborough Stakes Betting Odds

This year the MRC Champagne Stakes odds are open as the 2023 Scarborough Stakes odds and will be provided below complete with links to the betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au as soon as released.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 SCARBOROUGH STAKES ODDS (Final Field)

2023 MVRC Champagne Stakes / Scarborough Stakes Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 SCARBOROUGH STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 MVRC Champagne Stakes / Scarborough Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Scarborough Stakes 2023 Tips on the Moir Stakes Night support act at The Valley this spring.

  • To Win: #1 Skirt The Law ($4.20 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Tipping Tony Golllan’s classy Queenslander to return to winning form here and turn the tables on her last start conqueror Shesallshenanigans in a likely exciting rematch. This Better Than Ready filly proved her potential as a two-year-old winning the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic before suffering her first defeat in February’s Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick. Still, she was only 2.6 lengths beaten when seventh there and has looked better in Melbourne this prep. First-up at Caulfield ran second in the Group 3 Quezette behind Charm Stone before a Black-Type third at Flemington over 1100m. She’ll relish getting up to six furlongs third-up and fit now. Had to cross from wide last time out, but better midfield draw here at The Valley. Expect her to salute for the punters.

2023 MVRC Champagne Stakes / Scarborough Stakes Field

Fillies may come into the race now run as the Scarborough Stakes field via a number of different spring lead-ups including the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) contested at the same track in early September or the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) run down the straight at Flemington a fortnight before.

The 2023 MVRC Champagne Scarborough Stakes field of final acceptances is released on the Wednesday leading up to Moir Stakes night. The official 2023 Scarborough Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw will be published in full below as soon as announced.

The Scarborough Stakes 2023 final field features a smart line-up of fillies led in betting by the summer’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Skirt The Law

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 1117×23 SKIRT THE LAW Tony Gollan Ryan Maloney 6 56kg 84
2 4x1311x61 SHESALLSHENANIGANS Simon Zahra Blaike McDougall 1 56kg 83
3 141P8x09 LAZZAGO Chris Waller Craig Williams 5 56kg 82
4 1x44141x7 ULANOVA (NZ) Anthony & Sam Freedman Damien Oliver 8 56kg 92
5 412326×312 INHIBITIONS James Cummings Michael Dee 9 56kg 80
6 214x BOSSY NIC Tony & Calvin McEvoy Harry Coffey 12 56kg 74
7 1453×145 CIGAR FLICK Chris Waller Damian Lane 10 56kg 71
8 33x1215x2 CHILLED Matt Laurie Ms Jamie Kah 7 56kg 70
9 22×11 AUSTMARR Anthony & Sam Freedman Jordan Childs 2 56kg 70
10 6x2x2130 SICILIAN Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Ms Winona Costin 4 56kg 68
11 11x ZOURION (NZ) Mark Walker Mark Zahra 13 56kg 75
12 41x COEUR VOLANTE (NZ) Michael Moroney Blake Shinn 3 56kg 66
13 1 ANNIE’S ROSE Alexander Justice Jarrod Fry 11 56kg 63

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 MVRC Champagne Stakes / Scarborough Stakes Nominations

The 2023 MVRC Champagne Stakes nominations close on the Monday of race week and will be detailed in full below as soon as released.

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 1 ANNIE’S ROSE F 3 Alexander Justice 63
2 22×11 AUSTMARR F 3 Anthony & Sam Freedman 70
3 214x BOSSY NIC F 3 Tony & Calvin McEvoy 74
4 33x1215x2 CHILLED F 3 Matt Laurie 70
5 1453×145 CIGAR FLICK F 3 Chris Waller 71
6 41x COEUR VOLANTE (NZ) F 3 Michael Moroney 66
7 31x58x1 DIVINE GLORY F 3 Peter & Paul Snowden 72
8 3x16Fx13x0 DUBENENKO F 3 Chris Bieg 69
9 412326×312 INHIBITIONS F 3 James Cummings 80
10 122×0 IPHIMEDIA F 3 Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock 67
11 4x5212x LADY IN PINK F 3 Leon & Troy Corstens 66
12 141P8x09 LAZZAGO F 3 Chris Waller 82
13 1 LOLA BUNNY F 3 Tom Dabernig 63
14 21 MOESHA F 3 Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman 62
15 14x SERASANA F 3 Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock 68
16 4x1311x61 SHESALLSHENANIGANS F 3 Simon Zahra 83
17 6x2x2130 SICILIAN F 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 68
18 1117×23 SKIRT THE LAW F 3 Tony Gollan 84
19 1 TIME OF MY LIFE F 3 Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman 63
20 1x44141x7 ULANOVA (NZ) F 3 Anthony & Sam Freedman 92
21 11x ZOURION (NZ) F 3 Mark Walker 75

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

MVRC Champagne Stakes History

Inaugurated in its current format in 1975, the MVRC Champagne Stakes has a very fractured history. Only a young race by national standards, the MVRC Champagne Stakes has been known by a variety of names throughout its history:

Period Name
1975-1978 Moonee Valley Champagne Stakes
1979-1984 Leilani Stakes
1985-1988 Veuve Clicquot Classic
1989 The Veuve Clicquot
1990-1993 The Laurent Perrier
1994-2003 Champagne Stakes
2004 Mitsubishi Stakes
2005-2015 Champagne Stakes
2016-present Scarborough Stakes

Originally a Principal Race, in 1979 the MVRC Champagne Stakes was made a Group 3 event. It wasn’t long before it’s improving field and prestige led to an upgrade to Group 2 status in 1985. The MVRC Champagne Stakes held Group 2 status until 2005, when it was downgraded to a Group 3 event, which it has remained since.

Some notable MVRC Champagne Stakes winners include Miss Ollie (1975), Canny Lass (1985), Startling Lass (1988), Klokka (1992), Fair Embrace (2001), Snitzerland (2012), Houtzen (2017) and Swats That (2020). MVRC Champagne Stakes results since 2000 are recorded below.

MVRC Champagne / Scarborough Stakes Results

Year Place Horse Time
2023
Scarborough Stakes
1st Coeur Volante 1 minute 09.87 seconds
2nd Inhibitions
3rd Bossy Nic
2022
Scarborough Stakes
1st Queen Of The Ball 1 minute 12.16 seconds
2nd Troach
3rd English Riviera
2021
Scarborough Stakes
1st Seradess 1 minute 10.57 seconds
2nd Larkspur Run
3rd Decent Raine
2020
Scarborough Stakes
1st Swats That 1 minute 11.80 seconds
2nd Highly Discreet
3rd Dirty Thoughts
2019
Scarborough Stakes
1st Loving Gaby 1 minute 10.90 seconds
2nd Exhilarates
3rd Villami
2018
Scarborough Stakes
1st Meryl 1 minute 11.21 seconds
2nd Sweet Rockette
3rd Humma Humma
2017
Scarborough Stakes
1st Houtzen 1 minute 10.75 seconds
2nd Mintha
3rd True Excelsior
2016
Scarborough Stakes
1st Selenia 1 minute 12.03 seconds
2nd Stop Making Sense
3rd Merriest
2015
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Take Pride 1 minute 09.9 seconds
2nd Secret Agenda
3rd Serenade
2014
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Eloping 1 minute 11.6 seconds
2nd Tahni Dancer
3rd Tawteen
2013
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Thump 1 minute 10.8 seconds
2nd Miracles Of Life
3rd I Love It
2012
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Snitzerland 1 minute 11.3 seconds
2nd Hoss Amor
3rd Saturn Rock
2011
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Miss Stellabelle 1 minute 11.9 seconds
2nd Platelet
3rd Miss Zoom
2010
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Lone Rock 1 minute 11.0 seconds
2nd Jesse’s Girl
3rd Military Rose
2009
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Avenue 1 minute 12.5 seconds
2nd Rostova
3rd My Girl Helen
2008
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Dan Baroness 1 minute 11.6 seconds
2nd Ortensia
3rd Impressive Eagle
2007
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Antarctic Miss 1 minute 11.0 seconds
2nd Bel Mer
3rd Gladwell
2006
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Estelle Collection 1 minute 11.1 seconds
2nd Industrious
3rd Permaiscuous
2005
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Virage De Fortune 1 minute 12.3 seconds
2nd Crevette
3rd Testa Reale
2004
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Truly Wicked 1 minute 12.0 seconds
2nd Sharp Aunty
3rd Rich Megadale
2003
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Dilly Dally 1 minute 10.7 seconds
2nd Bella Corona
3rd Legally Bay
2002
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Before Too Long 1 minute 10.2 seconds
2nd Innovation Girl
3rd Fatoon
2001
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Fair Embrace 1 minute 11.2 seconds
2nd Patterns
3rd Bom Priceless
2000
MVRC Champagne Stakes
1st Ateates 1 minute 10.3 seconds
2nd Little Miss Marnie
3rd Stormy Summers

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