The Manikato Stakes is a

Moonee Valley Racing Club The Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) was founded by William Samuel (W.S.) Cox), in 1883 is located at The Valley Racecourse on McPherson Street, Moonee Ponds (a suburb of Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'' ...

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 ...

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 ...

horse race for horses aged three years old and over under

Weight for age {{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Weight for Age (WFA) is a term in thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. History The principle of WFA was developed by Admiral Rous, a handicapper with the English Jockey Club. Rou ...

conditions, over a distance of 1200 metres. It is held at

Moonee Valley Racecourse Moonee Valley Racecourse, currently marketed as The Valley, is a horse-racing track in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, Victoria Australia. History Moonee Valley Racecourse was established in 1883 by William Samuel (W.S.) Cox, who purchased a farm ...

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 in late October. Total prize money for the race is A$2,000,000

History

The race is named after the great race horse

Manikato Manikato (1975–1984) was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He established new track records in three races and was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Manikato was the second Australi ...

, who won this race twice as well as winning 5 consecutive William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley from 1979 to 1983. In 2009 the event was part of the

Breeders' Cup Challenge The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of Thoroughbred horse races in which the winner earns an automatic spot in a specified Breeders' Cup race. The challenge races change somewhat each year. The Challenge series began in 2007 with 24 "Win and Y ...

series with the winner of the Manikato Stakes automatically qualifying for a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. From 2012, the race date was moved to

Cox Plate The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Moo ...

Carnival Friday night in late October. While the race is a sprinter's race there are 4 winners who have won the prestigious W. S. Cox Plate:
* Strawberry Road (1983),

Rubiton Rubiton (18 October 1983 – 25 November 2005) was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse of the mid-1980s. He was bred by the Oamaru Stud in Victoria. Rubiton's name was a combination of "Ruby" and "ton", a colloquial term for 100 runs ...

(1987),

Dane Ripper Dane Ripper is an Australian Thoroughbred race horse. Trained by Bart Cummings, she is best known for her win in the 1997 Cox Plate when ridden by Damien Oliver Damien Oliver (born 22 June 1972) is an Australian thoroughbred racing jockey. ...

(1997) and Sunline (2000).

Distance

* 1968–1971 - 6

furlongs A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in ho ...

(~1200 metres) * 1972 onwards - 1200 metres

Grade

* 1968–1978 - Principal race * 1979–1988 -

Group 2 The term Group 2 may refer to: * Alkaline earth metal, a chemical element classification * Astronaut Group 2, also known as The New Nine, the second group of astronauts selected by NASA in 1962 * Group 2 (racing), an FIA classification for cars in ...

race * 1989 onwards -

race

Name

* 1968–1983 - Freeway Stakes * 1984 onwards - Manikato Stakes

Record

Time: Track record for the 1200 metres at Moonee Valley is 1:08.76 set by

Hey Doc Hey Doc (foaled 7 September 2013) is a retired Australian bred thoroughbred racehorse that won four Group 1 races, most notably the Manikato Stakes on two occasions. Background Hey Doc was sold at the Inglis Victorian yearling sales for the a ...

in this race in 2020.

Winners

* 2022 - Bella Nipotina * 2021 - Jonker *2020 -

*2019 - Loving Gaby *2018 - Brave Smash *2017 -

*2016 - Rebel Dane *2015 -

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua br ...

*2014 - Lankan Rupee *2013 - Buffering *2012 - Sea Siren *2011 - Sepoy *2010 -

Hay List Hay List (24 August 2005 – 3 February 2015) was a thoroughbred racehorse trained and bred in Australia. He won Manikato Stakes and All Aged Stakes, two Group one races. He was known as one of the major rivals of undefeated mare Black Caviar. Ha ...

*2009 - Danleigh *2008 - Typhoon Zed *2007 - Gold Edition *2006 -

Miss Andretti Miss Andretti was the 2007 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year and is the only Thoroughbred in racing history to simultaneously hold a total of five track records in Australia and England. Breeding She is a bay or brown mare that was foal ...

*2005 - Spark Of Life *2004 - Spark Of Life *2003 - Spinning Hill *2002 - Spinning Hill *2001 - Piavonic *2000 - Sunline *1999 -

Redoute's Choice Redoute's Choice (15 August 1996 – 26 March 2019) was a multiple Group One-winning Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and also a champion sire. He is by the phenomenal international sire Danehill (USA) out of the lightly raced mare Shantha ...

*1998 -

*1997 - Spartacus *1996 - Poetic King *1995 - You Remember *1994 - Spanish Mix *1993 - Never Undercharge *1992 - King Marauding *1991 - Sonic Express *1990 - Street Ruffian *1989 - Our Westminster *1988 - Rancho Ruler *1987 -

*1986 - Lockley's Tradition *1985 - Touch Of Genius *1984 - Vite Cheval *1983 - Strawberry Road *1982 -

*1981 - Silver Bounty *1980 - Grey Sapphire *1979 -

*1978 - Vice Regal *1977 - Ease The Squeeze *1976 - Scamanda *1975 - Lord Dudley *1974 - Tauto *1973 - Tauto *1972 - Century *1971 - Dual Choice *1970 - Dual Choice *1969 - Vain *1968 - Winfreux

References

{{Reflist, 2 Group 1 stakes races in Australia Open sprint category horse races Recurring sporting events established in 1968