The $3 million Champions Sprint runs on VRC Champions Sprint Day, as part of the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington Racecourse each November.
2024 Champions Sprint Results
- 1st: #6 Sunshine In Paris
- 2nd: #9 Right To Party
- 3rd: #5 Bella Nipotina
Champions Sprint News
- Bella Nipotina Heads Betting on Sensational Champions Sprint 2024 Field
- 2023 Champions Sprint Results: Imperatriz Just Keeps Winning
- 2023 Champions Sprint Field & Betting: Imperatriz Nears Odds-On Territory
- 2023 Manikato Stakes Winner Imperatriz Salutes Again
- Manikato Over Everest For Moir Stakes 2023 Winner Imperatriz
The Champions Sprint is a 1200m sprint race run down the famous Flemington straight during the spring on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup.
2024 Champions Sprint Results
- 1st: #6 Sunshine In Paris ($5)
- 2nd: #9 Right To Party
- 3rd: #5 Bella Nipotina
The Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald-trained Invader mare Sunshine In Paris ($5) was given a terrific run down the famous Flemington straight by James McDonald to charge home late with a driving finish to salute in the 2024 Champions Sprint results on Stakes Day. Right To Party ran second at big odds while The Everest – Russell Balding Stakes double winning mare Bella Nipotina was brave in third as the beaten favourite.
Click here for the full story.
Champions Sprint 2024 Odds & Results
| Runner Details | Win | Place |
|---|---|---|
|
1st
6. Sunshine In Paris (9)
J: James McDonald 56.5kg
T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald |
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2nd
9. Right To Party (3)
J: Jye McNeil 56.5kg
T: A & S Freedman |
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3rd
5. Bella Nipotina (12)
J: Craig Williams 56.5kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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4th
10. Stretan Angel (5)
J: Luke Nolen 56.5kg
T: Phillip Stokes |
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5th
11. Private Life (8)
J: Damian Lane 53.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
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|
6th
4. Baraqiel (1)
J: Ben Allen 58.5kg
T: L & T Corstens & W Larkin |
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7th
1. Giga Kick (7)
J: Mark Zahra 58.5kg
T: Clayton Douglas |
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8th
2. Overpass (2)
J: Josh Parr 58.5kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
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9th
8. Estriella (4)
J: Ben Melham 56.5kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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10th
7. Lady Laguna (6)
J: Nash Rawiller 56.5kg
T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald |
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11th
12. Bellatrix Star (10)
J: Michael Dee 51.5kg
T: Mark Walker |
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12th
3. I Am Unstoppable (11)
J: Dylan Browne McMonagle 58.5kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
Data retrieved: 24/11/2024 12:30:27 PM (Australia/Brisbane)
Held on a Saturday in early to mid-November on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Champions Sprint is the premier sprint race of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and is currently worth $3,000,000 in prize money.
The race, held on VRC Champions Stakes Day, is now the perfect target race for horses out of the world’s richest turf race – the $20 million The Everest (1200m) in Sydney the month before.
Redzel (2017) completed The Everest – VRC Sprint Classic double when the former took place for the first time. Santa Ana Lane (6th in 2018), Nature Strip (4th in 2019) and Bivouac (2nd in 2020) all also won the VRC Classic off a lead-up in The Everest race.
For a fifth time in as many years The Everest produced the VRC Sprint Classic winner in 2021 with Nature Strip completing the double.
Nature Strip further franked the form returning in the autumn of 2022 to again win the TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney before heading to Royal Ascot in the UK for his international Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1200m) victory.
Nature Strip returned for the 2022 edition of the race – run as the Champions Sprint – but only managed to run second behind upset winning mare Roch ‘N’ Horse.
The 2023 Champions Sprint was won by brilliant mare Imperatriz who came off four straight Moonee Valley wins including the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) and Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m).
Imperatriz went on to frank the form returning in the autumn of 2024 to win the Lightning Stakes and William Reid Stakes before retiring.
In 2024 Sunshine In Paris improved on a The Everest fifth to win the Champions Sprint while that year’s The Everest hero, Bella Nipotina, ran third in the Flemington Group 1.
The 2024 VRC Sprint Classic ran on Saturday November 9, 2024 as the Champions Sprint at Flemington offering $3 million in stakes and saw Sunshine In Paris ($5) drive through late to win.
| VRC Sprint Classic / Champions Sprint | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday November 9, 2024 |
| Track: | Flemington Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1200m |
| Race Type: | Weight-For-Age |
| Status: | Group 1 |
| Prize Money: | $3,000,000 |
2024 Champions Sprint Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | SUNSHINE IN PARIS | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | James McDonald | 9 | 56.5kg | $5 | |||
| 2 | 9 | RIGHT TO PARTY | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Jye McNeil | 0.15L | 3 | 56.5kg | $31 | ||
| 3 | 5 | BELLA NIPOTINA | Ciaron Maher | Craig Williams | 0.3L | 12 | 56.5kg | $4.40F | ||
| 4 | 10 | STRETAN ANGEL | Phillip Stokes | Luke Nolen | 0.76L | 5 | 56.5kg | $71 | ||
| 5 | 11 | PRIVATE LIFE | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 1.22L | 8 | 53.5kg | $31 | ||
| 6 | 4 | BARAQIEL | Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin | Ben Allen | 2.22L | 1 | 58.5kg | $12 | ||
| 7 | 1 | GIGA KICK | Clayton Douglas | Mark Zahra | 2.37L | 7 | 58.5kg | $5 | ||
| 8 | 2 | OVERPASS | Bjorn Baker | Joshua Parr | 3.37L | 2 | 58.5kg | $6.50 | ||
| 9 | 8 | ESTRIELLA | Ciaron Maher | Ben Melham | 3.77L | 4 | 56.5kg | $26 | ||
| 10 | 7 | LADY LAGUNA | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Nash Rawiller | 3.97L | 6 | 56.5kg | $17 | ||
| 11 | 12 | BELLATRIX STAR | Mark Walker | Michael Dee | 5.72L | 10 | 51.5kg | $11 | ||
| 12 | 3 | I AM UNSTOPPABLE | Ciaron Maher | Dylan Browne McMonagle | 8.97L | 11 | 58.5kg | $21 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 Champions Sprint Betting
The latest Champions Sprint 2024 betting odds will be provided at Ladbrokes.com.au and published here at Races.com.au for you to back your best Champions Sprint tips.
Bivouac ($3.20 in 2020), Nature Strip ($1.28 in 2021) and Imperatriz ($2.15 in 2023) are the last VRC Sprint Classic favourites to win.
There was a notable upset in 2022 with Roch ‘N’ Horse winning at Champions Sprint odds of $20.
2024 Champions Sprint Form Guide
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 CHAMPIONS SPRINT FORM GUIDE
2024 Champions Sprint Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Champions Sprint 2024 Tips on the lucrative sprint down the famous Flemington straight this November!
- To Win: #5 Bella Nipotina ($3.60 at time of publish) – BET NOW
A simply sensational Champions Sprint line-up this year full of in-form sprint stars looking to keep the wins going but see no reason to get off Bella Nipotina now. Ciaron Maher’s champion mare made history as the first female The Everest winner in Sydney two back then blitzed her rivals again over further at Rosehill last weekend in the Russell Balding. She is in Melbourne now and back to six furlongs having her 57th start. The only query is how much she really likes Flemington. She has had 10 goes without a win. She is fit and flying however so on class alone happy to stick with.
2024 Champions Sprint Field & Barriers
The 2024 Champions Sprint field will be released by Racing Victoria on the Wednesday of Melbourne Cup week 2024 and will be published below along with the official Champions Sprint Barrier Draw as soon as announced.
The Champions Sprint 2024 field features a dozen of the season’s best distance horses including The Everest winning mare Bella Nipotina, Overpass coming off a resuming win in the Sydney Stakes, 2.75 length McEwen winner Baraqiel, and Chris Waller’s Caulfield Guineas winning life Private Life.
Click here to read more on the key runners in the Champions Sprint 2024 field and betting markets.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3211x3x542 | GIGA KICK | Clayton Douglas | Mark Zahra | 7 | 58.5kg | 116 | ||
| 2 | 12x201x1x1 | OVERPASS | Bjorn Baker | Joshua Parr | 2 | 58.5kg | 115 | ||
| 3 | 3222x89x22 | I AM UNSTOPPABLE | Ciaron Maher | Dylan Browne McMonagle | 11 | 58.5kg | 100 | ||
| 4 | 11113311 | BARAQIEL | Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin | Ben Allen | 1 | 58.5kg | 105 | ||
| 5 | 41221×2311 | BELLA NIPOTINA | Ciaron Maher | Craig Williams | 12 | 56.5kg | 119 | ||
| 6 | x1x254x152 | SUNSHINE IN PARIS | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | James McDonald | 9 | 56.5kg | 113 | ||
| 7 | 112120×763 | LADY LAGUNA | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Nash Rawiller | 6 | 56.5kg | 113 | ||
| 8 | 6x1115x471 | ESTRIELLA | Ciaron Maher | Ben Melham | 4 | 56.5kg | 109 | ||
| 9 | 453×211141 | RIGHT TO PARTY | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Jye McNeil | 3 | 56.5kg | 106 | ||
| 10 | 7x4262x638 | STRETAN ANGEL | Phillip Stokes | Luke Nolen | 5 | 56.5kg | 102 | ||
| 11 | 41×141 | PRIVATE LIFE | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 8 | 53.5kg | 107 | ||
| 12 | 3214×51112 | BELLATRIX STAR | Mark Walker | Michael Dee | 10 | 51.5kg | 109 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Horses may come into the Champions Sprint field via a number of different early Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival sprint races, but the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) has proven the key lead-up race with Buffering (2013) and Imperatriz (2023) the latest horses to complete the Manikato Stakes – Champions Sprint double.
The richest turf race in the world – the $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick the month before, also now serves as a possible VRC Sprint Classic / Champions Sprint lead-up with Santa Ana Lane running sixth in the Sydney feature before his 2018 win at Flemington.
In 2017 Redzel took out The Everest – Darley Classic double, while Nature Strip (2019) improved on a fourth in The Everest to again frank the form with a big Darley Classic win at Flemington and Bivouac (2020) also won the Darley Classic (now the Champions Sprint) off a second in The Everest.
In 2021 Nature Strip won the race for a second time and joined Redzel in completing The Everest – VRC Sprint Classic double.
2024 Champions Sprint Nominations
The Champions Sprint nominations are taken the Monday of race week and feature a star-studded list of spring sprinters, including many that ran well in the previous season’s Champions Sprint / VRC Sprint Classic Classic results.
Races.com.au will publish the official 2024 Champions Sprint Nominations as soon as early entries are announced by Racing Victoria.
Ciaron Maher’s The Everest – Russell Balding Stakes double winning mare Bella Nipotina heads the 2024 Champions Sprint nominations for Saturday.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11113311 | BARAQIEL | G | 6 | Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin | 105 |
| 2 | 41221×2311 | BELLA NIPOTINA | M | 7 | Ciaron Maher | 119 |
| 3 | 3214×51112 | BELLATRIX STAR | F | 3 | Mark Walker | 109 |
| 4 | 25x1213x59 | CLIMBING STAR (NZ) | M | 5 | Phillip Stokes | 108 |
| 5 | 10323×6627 | COLEMAN | C | 3 | Matt Laurie | 102 |
| 6 | 6x1115x471 | ESTRIELLA | M | 4 | Ciaron Maher | 109 |
| 7 | 3211x3x542 | GIGA KICK | G | 5 | Clayton Douglas | 116 |
| 8 | 3222x89x22 | I AM UNSTOPPABLE | H | 4 | Ciaron Maher | 100 |
| 9 | 71280×7075 | JOHNNY ROCKER | H | 5 | Nick Ryan | 98 |
| 10 | 112120×763 | LADY LAGUNA | M | 5 | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | 113 |
| 11 | 12x201x1x1 | OVERPASS | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 115 |
| 12 | 41×141 | PRIVATE LIFE | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 13 | 453×211141 | RIGHT TO PARTY | M | 4 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 106 |
| 14 | 11112×3740 | SANS DOUTE | M | 5 | Mark Walker | 98 |
| 15 | 7x4262x638 | STRETAN ANGEL | M | 4 | Phillip Stokes | 102 |
| 16 | x1x254x152 | SUNSHINE IN PARIS | M | 5 | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | 113 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
VRC Sprint Classic / Champions Sprint History
The VRC Sprint Classic’s inaugural winner was Gulnare in 1868. The race was upgraded to Group 1 status in 2007.
The race distance has changed many times over the years, with the being a 1200m, 1400m and 1600m. The race name has also changed many times, with the race being known as the Flying Stakes, Linlithgow Stakes, Emirates Classic, Lexus Classic, The Age Classic, Patinack Farm Classic before changing to the VRC Sprint Classic in 2013. It has also been run as the Darley Classic in recent years.
Many great horses have won the VRC Sprint Classic including the legendary Phar Lap in 1930. Champion sire Fastnet Rock won the race in 2004.
A number of horses have won the race multiple times including the undefeated mare Black Caviar (2010-11) and Chris Waller’s ace sprinter Nature Strip (2019, 2021) who also won the 2021 The Everest in the lead-up that spring.
The event was renamed ahead of the 2022 edition as the Champions Sprint.
VRC Sprint Classic / Champions Sprint Results & Winners
The VRC Sprint Classic / Champions Sprint results including the winners and placegetters dating back to 2000 can be found below and used to help you with Champions Sprint betting this spring.
| YEAR | WINNER | 2ND | 3RD | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sunshine In Paris | Right To Party | Bella Nipotina | 1:09.25 |
| 2023 | Imperatriz | Buenos Noches | In Secret | 1:09.08 |
| 2022 | Roch ‘N’ Horse | Nature Strip | Baller | 1:09.19 |
| 2021 | Nature Strip | Swats That | Bella Nipotina | 1:08.7 |
| 2020 | Bivouac | Nature Strip | Libertini | 1:08.6 |
| 2019 | Nature Strip | Loving Gaby | In Her Time | 1:09.2 |
| 2018 | Santa Ana Lane | In Her Time | DH: Pierata, Jungle Cat | 1:08.6 |
| 2017 | Redzel | Terravista | Impending | 1:08.7 |
| 2016 | Malaguerra | Spieth | Fell Swoop | 1:10.2 |
| 2015 | Delectation | Chautauqua | Terravista | 1:10.0 |
| 2014 | Terravista | Chautauqua | Lankan Rupee | 1:08.7 |
| 2013 | Buffering | Shamexpress | Moment Of Change | 1:10.3 |
| 2012 | Mental | Sea Siren | Hallowell Belle | 1:09.0 |
| 2011 | Black Caviar | Buffering | Mid Summer Music | 1:08.3 |
| 2010 | Black Caviar | Star Witness | Ortensia | 1:07.9 |
| 2009 | All Silent | Wanted | Bank Robber | 1:08.7 |
| 2008 | Swick | Turffontein | Sunburnt Land | 1:11.0 |
| 2007 | Miss Andretti | Gold Edition | Stanzout | 1:08.9 |
| 2006 | Dance Hero | Shadoways | Miss Andretti | 1:08.6 |
| 2005 | Glamour Puss | Barely A Moment | Cape Of Good Hope | 1:08.9 |
| 2004 | Takeover Target | Recurring | St Basil | 1:08.2 |
| 2003 | Ancient Song | Into The Night | Blessum | 1:11.0 |
| 2002 | Rubitano | Intelligent Star | Cosmic Strike | 1:07.1 |
| 2001 | Sudurka | Hire | Camena | 1:08.4 |
| 2000 | Easy Rocking | Umrum | Tilt The Scales | 1:10.0 |
Race comments
The first of three outstanding Group 1 races. It's hard to go past BELLA NIPOTINA (5) who is in career best form, tough when wide throughout to win The Everest two back before getting a sweet trail and coming away to win easily last time. Small query is her record down the straight, but she's been an absolute marvel of late and looks a fair gamble. OVERPASS (2) was a very strong winner of the G2 Sydney Stakes first-up and arguably would've gone close in The Everest, winning in quicker time than that race. GIGA KICK (1) was excellent third-up in The Everest when charging into 2nd behind Bella. He's a proven straight track performer who looks back to something like his best. SUNSHINE IN PARIS (6) is a classy mare who could suit the straight. BARAQIEL (4) can acquit himself well off a strong G2 win.