What a carnival it's been, and it draws to a close with a star-studded Champions Day at fabulous Flemington and while two of the three Champions races border on the predictable thanks to superstar mares Autumn Glow and Tempted, the third promises an epic Cox Plate rematch!
The West Aussie wonder Cosmic Crusader seeks to end his incredible first eastern states campaign on a high and has the unique opportunity to win three G1 WFA 2000m features in one Melbourne spring - can the son of Maurice make history?
Waller's stablemates, the Cox Plate runner up Birdman and third placed Aeliana will attempt to thwart that mission, as will the Turnbull Stakes runner up Light Infantry Man.
Chris Waller and J Mac have won the last three Champions Stakes with mares Via Sistina and Atishu, can they keep the winning recipe going with Aeliana?
Treasurethe Moment gets blinkers on and makes her first appearance since a brave run in the Caulfield Cup.
The big boy Sir Delius is out to restore his reputation after a somewhat underwhelming sixth in the Cox Plate.
Gai Waterhouse has won this race four times with All Our Mob (1996), Grand Armee (2004), Desert War (2006) and Theseo (2008) A set of blinkers has been whipped out for the handsome son of Frankel too, as she and co-trainer Adrian aim to claim a fifth.
The Champions Stakes is the old LKS Mackinnon Stakes ( still its registered name) which always ran on Derby Day. For racing fans of a certain vintage, it was often a pointer to the Melbourne Cup.
In 2016 the race was moved to the last day of the Flemington carnival, and in 2022 rebranded as part of the VRC'S Champions Day concept.
It wasn't always the Mackinnon Stakes either! Inaugurated in 1869 as the Melbourne Stakes, the 2000m WFA feature was won by Glencoe, who had taken out the Melbourne Cup the year before.
A few of the famous early winners were Tim Whiffler, Malua, Chester (twice), Trenton and the legend Carbine in 1890.
The great mare Wakeful three-peated in 1901/02/03, a feat that not even the likes of Eurythmic, Peter Pan or Phar Lap could emulate - they each won it twice.
The race became the Mackinnon in 1937, named to honour the VRC's longstanding Chairman of 1861-1935, and attained G1 status in 1979.
Its first winner as the Mackinnon was The Trump, who won the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups of that year. His sire Manfred had won the race back in 1926.
Ajax won in 1938, then Beau Vite collected consecutive Mackinnons before another legendary mare of the turf Tranquil Star, equalled Wakeful's three wins with victories in 1942, 44 and 45.
Before the year 2000, Comic Court, Rising Fast and Belmura Lad were dual winners. The roll call of the race is a literal “who's who” of the Australian turf - Flight, Delta, Dalray, Hydrogen, Tulloch, Aquanita, Tobin Bronze, Winfrey, Rain Lover, Leilani, Family Of Man, Dulcify, Rubiton, Empire Rose, Horlicks, Better Loosen Up, Let's Elope - they're all there.
Since 2000, the most memorable winners include Lonhro,Grand Armee, Desert War, Scenic Shot, So You Think, Arcadia Queen and Zaaki (twice) before Via Sistina's back to back wins of the last two seasons.
A field of eleven will load into the barriers for this edition of the time honoured feature. Aside from the leading chances,they include the warhorse Attrition and the intriguing Omni Man, a Joseph O'Brien trained raider who was placed at Geelong to the spectacular Melbourne Cup winner Point Of Law.
Mick Price and Michael Kent back up Sabaj after his return to winning form on Cup day, and Cliff Brown is sending his durable campaigner Von Hauke to 2000m for the very first time in the seven year old's career.
Light Infantry Man's stablemate Land Legend will also run and hasn't won in seven starts at the track, but Ciaron Maher is on a winning streak hotter than the eternal fires of Hades so who knows!
