About the race
The Manikato Stakes is a Group 1 weight-for-age race over 1200m for three-year-olds and upwards, staged by the Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) under lights. It was first run on 31 August 1968 as the Freeway Stakes and is named after Manikato, the sprinter who won the William Reid Stakes five times in a row from 1979 to 1983 and is buried in TOTE Park. In 2024 the race moved from the Cox Plate Carnival back to an earlier spring slot on the AFL Grand Final Eve card. The MVRC states total prize money of $2 million.
The 2025 running was won by Charm Stone, ridden by Blake Shinn for trainers M Price & M Kent, by two lengths from Baraqiel. The IFHA rated it at 116.50, 78th in its list of the world’s top 100 Group 1 races of 2025. The MVRC honour roll lists Jimmysstar, trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Ethan Brown, as the 2026 winner.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charm Stone | Blake Shinn | M Price & M Kent | n/v |
From the official result.
The 2026 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmysstar | Ethan Brown | Ciaron Maher | n/v |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Former name
- Freeway Stakes (MVRC)
- Race night
- AFL Grand Final Eve, since 2024 (MVRC)
- 2024 winner
- Southport Tycoon (Ciaron Maher, Mark Zahra) (MVRC)
Questions readers ask
When is the Manikato Stakes run?
Under lights on the eve of the AFL Grand Final, a slot it returned to in 2024, according to the Moonee Valley Racing Club. The club had not published a 2027 date on its race page by 12 October 2026.
What is the prize fund of the Manikato Stakes?
The Moonee Valley Racing Club states total prize money of $2 million (Australian dollars).
Who won the Manikato Stakes in 2025?
Charm Stone, ridden by Blake Shinn and trained by M Price & M Kent.
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.