About the race
The VRC Champions Sprint is a Group 1 race over 1200m at Flemington for three-year-olds and upwards, staged by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) on TAB Champions Stakes Day, the fourth and final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. The 2026 running is on Saturday 7 November with prize money of $3,000,000, the same as in 2025. In 2022, run as the Darley Champions Sprint, it was won by Roch ‘n’ Horse (NZ), according to the VRC.
On 8 November 2025 Giga Kick, trained at Mornington by Clayton Douglas and ridden by Mark Zahra, won the race at his third attempt, from Magic Time and Joliestar. The IFHA rated the 2025 running at 116.00, 92nd in its list of the world’s top 100 Group 1 races of 2025.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 November 2025 | Giga Kick | Mark Zahra | Clayton Douglas | n/v |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Race day
- TAB Champions Stakes Day, final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival
- 2025 placings
- 1st Giga Kick, 2nd Magic Time, 3rd Joliestar, 4th Libertad (VRC)
- Former sponsor
- Darley (2022, VRC)
Questions readers ask
When is the VRC Champions Sprint run?
On TAB Champions Stakes Day at Flemington. The 2026 running is on Saturday 7 November 2026.
What is the prize fund of the VRC Champions Sprint?
$3,000,000 (Australian dollars) for 2026, the same as in 2025, according to the VRC.
Who won the VRC Champions Sprint in 2025?
Giga Kick, ridden by Mark Zahra and trained by Clayton Douglas, on 8 November 2025.
Sources
The rank and rating are from the IFHA's LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025, published 21 January 2026, which ranks races by the ratings of their first four finishers. Other facts are from the pages listed below.
- IFHA: LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025 (published 21 January 2026)
- VRC: TAB Champions Stakes Day 2026
- VRC Inside Run: TAB Champions Stakes Day 2025, Race 6
- VRC: Over 286,000 celebrate racing and entertainment at the Melbourne Cup Carnival (8 November 2025)
- VRC: Champions emerge as carnival closes with a bang (6 November 2022)