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Overview
This page was last updated on November 11, 2025
The 2025 VRC Sprint Classic runs on Saturday November 8 as the Champions Sprint at Flemington offering $3 million in stakes.
- Race Date: 08/11/2025
- Race Status: Group 1
- Race Conditions: Weight-for-Age; 3YOs & Upwards
- Race Venue: Flemington, VIC
- Prize Money: $3,000,000
- Distance: 1200m
- Track Conditions: Heavy9 - showers
- Rail Position: Out 9m Entire Circuit.
Champions Sprint 2025 Results
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1st
1. Giga Kick (3)
J: Mark Zahra 58.5kg
T: Clayton Douglas |
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2nd
7. Magic Time (4)
J: Michael Dee 56.5kg
T: Grahame Begg |
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3rd
6. Joliestar (6)
J: James McDonald 56.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
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4th
4. Libertad (1)
J: Tom Marquand 58.5kg
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
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5th
8. Benedetta (9)
J: Jamie Melham 56.5kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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6th
5. Tropicus (5)
J: Damian Lane 58.5kg
T: Anthony & Sam Freedman |
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7th
9. Flying For Fun (2)
J: Jordan Childs 56.5kg
T: Bryce Heys |
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8th
3. Caballus (8)
J: Jason Collett 58.5kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
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9th
2. Jedibeel (7)
J: Ethan Brown 58.5kg
T: Brad Widdup |
2025 Champions Sprint Results
Stay tuned for the official 2025 Champions Sprint race results and finishing order to see if your bets on this year’s race were successful!
- 1st: Giga Kick
- 2nd: Magic Time
- 3rd: Joliestar
Winning Margin: 0.2L
Winning Time: 1:13.30
Champions Sprint Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Champions Sprint 2025 Tips on the lucrative sprint down the famous Flemington straight this November!
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3rd
6. Joliestar (6)
J: James McDonald 56.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
Champions Sprint News
- 2024 Champions Sprint Results: Sunshine In Paris Drives Through to Win
- Bella Nipotina Heads Betting on Sensational Champions Sprint 2024 Field
- 2023 Champions Sprint Results: Imperatriz Just Keeps Winning
- 2023 Champions Sprint Field & Betting: Imperatriz Nears Odds-On Territory
- 2023 Manikato Stakes Winner Imperatriz Salutes Again
The Champions Sprint is a 1200m sprint race run down the famous Flemington straight during the spring on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup.
Held on a Saturday in early to mid-November on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Champions Sprint is the premier sprint race of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and is currently worth $3,000,000 in prize money.
The race, held on VRC Champions Stakes Day, is now the perfect target race for horses out of the world’s richest turf race – the $20 million The Everest (1200m) in Sydney the month before.
Redzel (2017) completed The Everest – VRC Sprint Classic double when the former took place for the first time. Santa Ana Lane (6th in 2018), Nature Strip (4th in 2019) and Bivouac (2nd in 2020) all also won the VRC Classic off a lead-up in The Everest race.
For a fifth time in as many years The Everest produced the VRC Sprint Classic winner in 2021 with Nature Strip completing the double.
Nature Strip further franked the form returning in the autumn of 2022 to again win the TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney before heading to Royal Ascot in the UK for his international Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1200m) victory.
Nature Strip returned for the 2022 edition of the race – run as the Champions Sprint – but only managed to run second behind upset winning mare Roch ‘N’ Horse.
The 2023 Champions Sprint was won by brilliant mare Imperatriz who came off four straight Moonee Valley wins including the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) and Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m).
Imperatriz went on to frank the form returning in the autumn of 2024 to win the Lightning Stakes and William Reid Stakes before retiring.
In 2024 Sunshine In Paris improved on a The Everest fifth to win the Champions Sprint while that year’s The Everest hero, Bella Nipotina, ran third in the Flemington Group 1.
Sunshine In Paris franked the 2024 Champions Sprint form returning the next year to run third in Sydney’s All Aged Stakes before a Group 1 Doomben 10,000 win in Brisbane.
2025 Champions Sprint Betting
The latest Champions Sprint 2025 betting odds will be provided at Ladbrokes.com.au and published here at Races.com.au for you to back your best Champions Sprint tips.
Bivouac ($3.20 in 2020), Nature Strip ($1.28 in 2021) and Imperatriz ($2.15 in 2023) are the last VRC Sprint Classic favourites to win.
There was a notable upset in 2022 with Roch ‘N’ Horse winning at Champions Sprint odds of $20.
Champions Sprint Field
2025 Champions Sprint Form Guide
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 CHAMPIONS SPRINT FORM GUIDE
2025 Champions Sprint Nominations
The Champions Sprint nominations are taken the Monday of race week and feature a star-studded list of spring sprinters, including many that ran well in the previous season’s Champions Sprint / VRC Sprint Classic Classic results.
Races.com.au will publish the official 2025 Champions Sprint Nominations as soon as early entries are announced by Racing Victoria.
2025 Champions Sprint Final Field & Barriers
The 2025 Champions Sprint field will be released by Racing Victoria on the Wednesday of Melbourne Cup week 2025 and will be published below along with the official Champions Sprint Barrier Draw as soon as announced.
Horses may come into the Champions Sprint field via a number of different early Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival sprint races, but the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) has proven the key lead-up race with Buffering (2013) and Imperatriz (2023) the latest horses to complete the Manikato Stakes – Champions Sprint double.
The richest turf race in the world – the $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick the month before, also now serves as a possible VRC Sprint Classic / Champions Sprint lead-up with Santa Ana Lane running sixth in the Sydney feature before his 2018 win at Flemington.
In 2017 Redzel took out The Everest – Darley Classic double, while Nature Strip (2019) improved on a fourth in The Everest to again frank the form with a big Darley Classic win at Flemington and Bivouac (2020) also won the Darley Classic (now the Champions Sprint) off a second in The Everest.
In 2021 Nature Strip won the race for a second time and joined Redzel in completing The Everest – VRC Sprint Classic double.
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Barrier | Weight | Age | Sex | Last Starts | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giga Kick | Mark Zahra | Clayton Douglas | 3 | 58.5kg | 6 | G | x36x1 | $12,932,450 |
| 2 | Jedibeel | Ethan Brown | Brad Widdup | 7 | 58.5kg | 6 | G | 8x840 | $1,669,650 |
| 3 | Caballus | Jason Collett | Bjorn Baker | 8 | 58.5kg | 5 | G | x1x51 | $738,145 |
| 4 | Libertad | Tom Marquand | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 1 | 58.5kg | 5 | H | 78x47 | $727,700 |
| 5 | Tropicus | Damian Lane | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 5 | 58.5kg | 4 | H | x7x12 | $516,800 |
| 6 | Joliestar | James McDonald | Chris Waller | 6 | 56.5kg | 5 | M | 21x15 | $6,301,475 |
| 7 | Magic Time | Michael Dee | Grahame Begg | 4 | 56.5kg | 6 | M | 7x130 | $3,965,375 |
| 8 | Benedetta | Jamie Melham | Ciaron Maher | 9 | 56.5kg | 6 | M | 547x7 | $2,102,415 |
| 9 | Flying For Fun | Jordan Childs | Bryce Heys | 2 | 56.5kg | 4 | M | 2x832 | $206,800 |
| 10 | Tentyris | Craig Williams | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 3 | 53.5kg | 3 | C | 1x311 | $1,959,245 |
Champions Sprint Barrier & Speedmap
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x5427x36x1 | GIGA KICK | Clayton Douglas | Mark Zahra | 4 | 58.5kg | 115 | ||
| 2 | x19028x840 | JEDIBEEL (NZ) | Brad Widdup | Ethan Brown | 8 | 58.5kg | 105 | ||
| 3 | 90887x1x51 | CABALLUS | Bjorn Baker | Jason Collett | 9 | 58.5kg | 105 | ||
| 4 | 03x9178x47 | LIBERTAD | Annabel & Rob Archibald | Tom Marquand | 1 | 58.5kg | 104 | ||
| 5 | 78x21x7x12 | TROPICUS | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Damian Lane | 6 | 58.5kg | 104 | ||
| 6 | 7x31921x15 | JOLIESTAR | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 7 | 56.5kg | 116 | ||
| 7 | 2x1367x130 | MAGIC TIME | Grahame Begg | Michael Dee | 5 | 56.5kg | 113 | ||
| 8 | 8x302547x7 | BENEDETTA | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Melham | 10 | 56.5kg | 109 | ||
| 9 | 11x252x832 | FLYING FOR FUN | Bryce Heys | Jordan Childs | 2 | 56.5kg | 92 | ||
| 10 | 5121×311 | TENTYRIS | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Craig Williams | 3 | 53.5kg | 110 |
Champions Sprint History
The VRC Sprint Classic’s inaugural winner was Gulnare in 1868. The race was upgraded to Group 1 status in 2007.
The race distance has changed many times over the years, with the being a 1200m, 1400m and 1600m. The race name has also changed many times, with the race being known as the Flying Stakes, Linlithgow Stakes, Emirates Classic, Lexus Classic, The Age Classic, Patinack Farm Classic before changing to the VRC Sprint Classic in 2013. It has also been run as the Darley Classic in recent years.
Many great horses have won the VRC Sprint Classic including the legendary Phar Lap in 1930. Champion sire Fastnet Rock won the race in 2004.
A number of horses have won the race multiple times including the undefeated mare Black Caviar (2010-11) and Chris Waller’s ace sprinter Nature Strip (2019, 2021) who also won the 2021 The Everest in the lead-up that spring.
The event was renamed ahead of the 2022 edition as the Champions Sprint.
Champions Sprint Previous Race Winners
The VRC Sprint Classic / Champions Sprint results including the winners and placegetters dating back to 2000 can be found below and used to help you with Champions Sprint betting this spring.
| YEAR | WINNER | 2ND | 3RD | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Giga Kick | Magic Time | Joliestar | 1:13.30 |
| 2024 | Sunshine In Paris | Right To Party | Bella Nipotina | 1:09.25 |
| 2023 | Imperatriz | Buenos Noches | In Secret | 1:09.08 |
| 2022 | Roch ‘N’ Horse | Nature Strip | Baller | 1:09.19 |
| 2021 | Nature Strip | Swats That | Bella Nipotina | 1:08.7 |
| 2020 | Bivouac | Nature Strip | Libertini | 1:08.6 |
| 2019 | Nature Strip | Loving Gaby | In Her Time | 1:09.2 |
| 2018 | Santa Ana Lane | In Her Time | DH: Pierata, Jungle Cat | 1:08.6 |
| 2017 | Redzel | Terravista | Impending | 1:08.7 |
| 2016 | Malaguerra | Spieth | Fell Swoop | 1:10.2 |
| 2015 | Delectation | Chautauqua | Terravista | 1:10.0 |
| 2014 | Terravista | Chautauqua | Lankan Rupee | 1:08.7 |
| 2013 | Buffering | Shamexpress | Moment Of Change | 1:10.3 |
| 2012 | Mental | Sea Siren | Hallowell Belle | 1:09.0 |
| 2011 | Black Caviar | Buffering | Mid Summer Music | 1:08.3 |
| 2010 | Black Caviar | Star Witness | Ortensia | 1:07.9 |
| 2009 | All Silent | Wanted | Bank Robber | 1:08.7 |
| 2008 | Swick | Turffontein | Sunburnt Land | 1:11.0 |
| 2007 | Miss Andretti | Gold Edition | Stanzout | 1:08.9 |
| 2006 | Dance Hero | Shadoways | Miss Andretti | 1:08.6 |
| 2005 | Glamour Puss | Barely A Moment | Cape Of Good Hope | 1:08.9 |
| 2004 | Takeover Target | Recurring | St Basil | 1:08.2 |
| 2003 | Ancient Song | Into The Night | Blessum | 1:11.0 |
| 2002 | Rubitano | Intelligent Star | Cosmic Strike | 1:07.1 |
| 2001 | Sudurka | Hire | Camena | 1:08.4 |
| 2000 | Easy Rocking | Umrum | Tilt The Scales | 1:10.0 |
| VRC Sprint Classic / Champions Sprint | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday November 8, 2025 |
| Track: | Flemington Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1200m |
| Race Type: | Weight-For-Age |
| Status: | Group 1 |
| Prize Money: | $3,000,000 |
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