27 THE HISTORY OF THE TAB CHAMPIONS STAKES One of the Melbourne Cup Carnival’s most iconic races was given a new name in 2022. First contested as the Melbourne Stakes in 1869, the race was renamed the LKS Mackinnon Stakes in 1937 before becoming the TAB Champions Stakes. Originally held on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the 2000-metre feature was both a premier weight-for-age contest and an important lead-up to the Melbourne Cup. In 2016, it moved to the carnival’s final day, where it remains a major feature of the programme. The race’s honour roll reads like a who’s who of Australian racing. It includes 15 horses that won the Melbourne Cup in the same year, among them Carbine, Phar Lap, Peter Pan, Rising Fast, Rain Lover and Let’s Elope. Other champions to claim victory include Wakeful, Eurythmic, Gloaming, Tranquil Star, Sailor’s Guide, Tulloch, Tobin Bronze, Dulcify, Better Loosen Up, Lonhro and So You Think. International winners have also emerged in recent years, with England represented by Side Glance, France by Gailo Chop and Ireland by Magic Wand. Last year, champion mare Via Sistina secured back-to-back victories in the race for the formidable combination of jockey James McDonald and trainer Chris Waller. The triumph gave Waller a third consecutive win in the feature, following Atishu’s success in 2023, and provided a fitting finale to Via Sistina’s outstanding career after another dominant performance on the Melbourne Cup Carnival’s final day. Image: Scott Barbour/Racing Photos
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODA1NTI=