About the race
The TAB Champions Stakes is a Group 1 race over 2000m 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 IFHA lists it as the former Mackinnon Stakes. The 2026 running is on Saturday 7 November with prize money of $3,000,000, the same as in 2025. Zaaki won it in 2022, according to the VRC.
On 8 November 2025 Via Sistina won the race for the second year running, ridden by James McDonald and trained by Chris Waller, beating Zambardo by two and three-quarter lengths on a heavy track, with Tom Kitten third. The VRC reported that she had won the Cox Plate at her previous start and that the win was the 50th Group 1 for the Waller and McDonald combination. The IFHA rated the race at 117.75, 54th in its 2025 list.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 November 2025 | Via Sistina | James McDonald | Chris Waller | n/v |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Race day
- TAB Champions Stakes Day, final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival
- Former name
- Mackinnon Stakes (IFHA list)
- 2025 placings
- 1st Via Sistina, 2nd Zambardo, 3rd Tom Kitten, 4th Pier (VRC)
- 2025 track
- Heavy (VRC)
Questions readers ask
When is the TAB Champions Stakes run?
On TAB Champions Stakes Day at Flemington. The 2026 running is on Saturday 7 November 2026.
What is the prize fund of the TAB Champions Stakes?
$3,000,000 (Australian dollars) for 2026, the same as in 2025, according to the VRC.
Who won the TAB Champions Stakes in 2025?
Via Sistina, ridden by James McDonald and trained by Chris Waller, 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 8
- VRC: Via Sistina wins second Champions Stakes (8 November 2025)
- VRC: Champions emerge as carnival closes with a bang (6 November 2022)