The Champions Sprint, registered as the Victoria Racing Club Stakes, is a

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 ...

Group One

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 held at Flemington Racecourse,

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 on the last day of the VRC Spring Carnival. Total prize money for the race is A$3,000,000.

History

The race is considered one of the major sprints of the spring racing calendar. Prior to 2006 the race was held on the first day of the VRC Spring 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 Melbourn ...

day, but was moved the following year to the last day of the carnival. In 2007 the sprint was also changed to weight-for-age conditions.

Name

*1960–1979 - Craven 'A' Stakes *1980–1984 - Pure-Pak Stakes *1985–1993 - Gadsden Stakes *1994–1995 - Southcorp Packaging Stakes *1996–2006 - Salinger Stakes *2007 - The Age Classic *2008–2012 - Patinack Farm Classic *2013 - VRC Sprint Classic *2014–2017 - Darley Classic *2018 - VRC Sprint Classic *2019–2021 - Darley Sprint Classic *2022– Darley Champions Sprint

Distance

*1960–1971 - 6

furlong 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 hor ...

s (~1200 metres) *1972 onwards - 1200 metres

Grade

*1960–1978 - Principal Race *1979 onwards - Group 1

Winners

*2022 - Roch 'n' Horse *2021 - Nature Strip *2020 - Bivouac *2019 - Nature Strip *2018 - Santa Ana Lane *2017 - Redzel *2016 - Malaguerra *2015 - Delectation *2014 - Terravista *2013 - Buffering *2012 - Mental *2011 -

Black Caviar Black Caviar (foaled 18 August 2006) is a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was undefeated in 25 races, including 15 Group Ones, an Australian record. She was the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 WTRR World Champion Sprinter. Black C ...

*2010 -

*2009 - All Silent *2008 - Swick *2007 -

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 ...

*2006 - Dance Hero *2005 - Glamour Puss *2004 -

Takeover Target Takeover Target (27 September 1999 – 20 June 2015) was a much-travelled Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won top sprinting races in each of the five major cities in Australia as well as in the United Kingdom, Japan, and Singapore. ...

*2003 - Ancient Song *2002 - Rubitano *2001 - Sudurka *2000 - Easy Rocking *1999 - Pharein *1998 - Flavour *1997 - Notoire *1996 - Gold Ace *1995 - Brawny Spirit *1994 - Hareeba *1993 - Alishan *1992 - Unspoken Word *1991 - Final Card *1990 - Planet Ruler *1989 - Planet Ruler *1988 - Special *1987 - Sky Filou *1986 - Taj Quillo *1985 - Lord Ballina *1984 - River Rough *1983 - River Rough *1982 - Forgone Conclusion *1981 - Zegna *1980 - Watney *1979 - Rooney *1978 - Always Welcome *1977 - Galway Bay *1976 - Maybe Mahal *1975 - Miss Lockleys *1974 - Scamanda *1973 - Century *1972 - Beaches *1971 - Welsh Prince *1970 - Dual Choice *1969 - Vain *1968 - Snub *1967 - Iga Ninja *1966 - Marmion *1965 - Picca *1964 - Star Of Heaven *1963 - Ripa *1962 - Samson *1961 - Bengal Tiger *1960 - Karina

References