The VRC Champions Mile, registered as the ''Cantala Stakes'', is a

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N * Group On ...

Victoria Racing Club The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual "race that stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup ...

quality handicap

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

horse race run over 1,600 metres at

Flemington Racecourse Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The racecou ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

on the fourth and last day during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Total prize money is A$3,000,000

History

The race was moved in 2016 to the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival (

Victoria Derby The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbour ...

Day) from the last day. This was swapped with the

LKS Mackinnon Stakes The VRC Champions Stakes, registered as the ''LKS Mackinnon Stakes'', is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia o ...

, which is now the feature race on the last day of the carnival. In 2022, the race was returned to the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and renamed the VRC Champions Mile in order to align with the branding of the entire race day, which is now called Champions Day instead of Stakes Day.

1954 racebook

File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P1.jpg, Front page 1954 VRC Cantala Stakes racebook. File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P2.jpg, 1954 VRC Cantala Stakes raceday officials. File:1954 VRC Cantala Stakes Racebook P3.jpg, Starters and results 1954 Cantala Stakes showing the winner, Prince Cortauld. File:1954 VRC Cantala Stakes Racebook P4.jpg, Starters and results of the 1954 Cantala Stakes. File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P5.jpg, Back Cover showing enclosure information for visitors.

Name

* 1881–1918 - Coburg Stakes * 1919–1961 - Cantala Stakes * 1962–1984 - George Adams Handicap * 1985–1988 - Ampol Stakes * 1989–1992 - Honda Stakes * 1993–1995 - Nissan Stakes * 1996–1997 - Chrysler Stakes * 1998–2015 - Emirates Stakes * 2016 - Cantala Stakes * 2017–2018 - Kennedy Mile * 2019–2021 - Kennedy Cantala Stakes * 2022 - Kennedy Champions Mile

Distance

* 1881–1894 - 1 miles (~1800 metres) *1895–1971 - 1 mile (~1600 metres) *1972–1993 – 1600 metres * 1994 – 1616 metres *1995–2005 – 1600 metres *2006 – 1610 metres *2007 onwards - 1600 metres

Grade

*1881–1978 - Principal Race *1979 onwards - Group 1

Winners

* 2022 – Alligator Blood * 2021 – Superstorm * 2020 – Yulong Prince * 2019 – Fierce Impact * 2018 – Best Of Days * 2017 – Shillelagh * 2016 – Le Romain * 2015 – Turn Me Loose * 2014 – Hucklebuck * 2013 – Boban * 2012 – Happy Trails * 2011 – Albert The Fat * 2010 – Wall Street * 2009 – All American * 2008 – All Silent * 2007 – Tears I Cry * 2006 –

Divine Madonna Divine Madonna (foaled 8 October 2002) is an Australian Thoroughbred racemare. She won four group one (G1) races, the 2006 Emirates Stakes, 2007 Queen of the Turf Stakes, 2007 Toorak Handicap and the 2007 Myer Classic. Divine Madonna had 26 ra ...

* 2005 – Valedictum * 2004 – Sky Cuddle * 2003 – Titanic Jack * 2002 – Scenic Peak * 2001 – Desert Eagle * 2000 – Testa Rossa * 1999 – Bonanova * 1998 – Bezeal Bay * 1997 – Catalan Opening * 1996 – Miss Margaret * 1995 – Seascay * 1994 – Seascay * 1993 – Primacy * 1992 – Planet Ruler * 1991 – Pontormo * 1990 –

Shaftesbury Avenue Shaftesbury Avenue is a major road in the West End of London, named after The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It runs north-easterly from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. From Piccadilly Cir ...

* 1989 –

Better Loosen Up Better Loosen Up (foaled 29 August 1985 – died 15 March 2016) was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse that won the Japan Cup in 1990 and was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1991. He campaigned from two to seven years of age, and won ...

* 1988 – Our Westminster * 1987 – Warned * 1986 – Chanteclair * 1985 – Dazzling Duke * 1984 – Riverdale * 1983 – Honest Promise * 1982 – Magari * 1981 – Tower Belle * 1980 – Silver Bounty * 1979 – Bit Of A Skite * 1978 – Family Of Man * 1977 – Galway Bay * 1976 – Maybe Mahal * 1975 – Kiwi Can * 1974 – Skyjack * 1973 –

Taj Rossi Taj Rossi (foaled 1970) was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Taj Rossi was sired by Matrice from the mare Dark Queen. He was trained throughout his career by Bart Cummings who bought him at the 1972 Adelaide yearling s ...

* 1972 – All Shot * 1971 –

Gunsynd Gunsynd (4 October 1967 – 29 April 1983) was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won 29 races and A$280,455 in prize money. In his seven starts over one mile (1,600 metres) he was only once defeated, by half-a-head in the Epsom ...

* 1970 – Levian * 1969 –

Vain Vain may refer to: * Vain (horse) (1966–1991), a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse * Vain Stakes, an Australian Thoroughbred horse race * Vain (band), a glam metal band formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1986 * Vaginal intraepithe ...

* 1968 – Cyron * 1967 – Heroic Stone * 1966 – Storm Queen * 1965 – Heroic Stone * 1964 – Brandy Lad * 1963 –

Wenona Girl Wenona Girl (foaled 1957) was a leading Australian Thoroughbred horse racemare that had 27 wins over distances ranging from 4½ furlongs to 1½ miles. She won 22 principal races, 15 of which were later designated group one (G1) races. Wenona Girl ...

* 1962 – Woambra * 1961 – Aquanita * 1960 – Aquanita * 1959 – Wheat King * 1958 – Droll Prince * 1957 – Landy * 1956 – Matrice * 1955 – Kosciusko * 1954 –

Prince Cortauld Prince Cortauld, was a brown Thoroughbred stallion, performing in Australia trained by Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer Maurice McCarten raced from a two-year-old to a five-year-old recording 25 wins from 5 furlongs to 1¾ miles with cham ...

* 1953 – Rio Janeiro * 1952 – Phaethon * 1951 – Kintail * 1950 – Ellerslie * 1949 – Comedy Prince * 1948 – Beau John * 1947 – Money Moon * 1946 – St. Fairy * 1945 –

Royal Gem Royal Gem (foaled 1942 in Australia) was a versatile Thoroughbred racehorse that won 23 races ranging from 5 furlongs (1,000 metres) to 12 furlongs (2,400 m). He was later a successful sire in the United States. Breeding He was a brown stallion b ...

* 1944 – Gay Revelry * 1943 – Burberry * 1942 – Queen Baccha * 1941 – Burrabil * 1940 – Gold Salute * 1939 – Manrico * 1938 – St. Constant * 1937 – Mohican * 1936 – Gay Lover * 1935 – Hostile * 1934 – L'elite * 1933 – Care Free * 1932 – Denis Boy * 1931 – Dermid * 1930 – Mystic Peak * 1929 –

Amounis Amounis was an Australian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse. He won 33 races over distances ranging from 6 to 12 furlongs (1,200 to 2,400 metres). Of these wins, 27 were in "Principal Races" (equivalent to today's Group races or "Black Type" ra ...

* 1928 – Highland * 1927 – Vaals * 1926 –

* 1925 – Waranton * 1924 – The Night Patrol * 1923 – Claro * 1922 –

Violoncello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D ...

* 1921 – Beeline * 1920 – Ethiopian * 1919 – Chal *1918 – Fitness *1917 – De Gama *1916 – Colugo *1915 – Fidelio *1914 – De Gama *1913 – Ireland *1912 – Walter Tyrril *1911 – Ladies' Man *1910 – Perilous *1909 – Kerlie *1908 – Iolaire *1907 – Iolaire *1906 – Benbow *1905 – Debenture *1904 – P.K. *1903 – Graft *1902 – Kinglock *1901 – Caledonia *1900 – Nitre *1899 – Security *1898 – Sailor Boy *1897 – The Grafter *1896 – Ayrshire *1895 – Hindoo *1894 – Escapade *1893 – Rosebrook *1892 – Cooya *1891 – Cardoness *1890 – Crown Jewel *1889 – Boz *1888 – Plutarch *1887 – Quintin Matsys *1886 – Day Star *1885 – The Bohemian *1884 – Josephine *1883 – Paul *1882 – Wizard *1881 – Courtenay

References

{{reflist, 30em Open mile category horse races Group 1 stakes races in Australia Flemington Racecourse The Emirates Group