THE HISTORY OF THE Image: Pat Scala/Racing Photos One of the country’s premier sprinting contests, the VRC Champions Sprint is the ultimate test of speed and agility, with the 1200-metre feature run along Flemington’s iconic Straight Six. The inaugural edition was won by New Zealand mare Karina in 1960, when she conquered a field of 27 runners racing along the grandstand rail. The race has been conducted under a few different races names. It has previously been known as the Craven ‘A’ Stakes, Gadsden Stakes, Salinger Stakes, Patinack Farm Classic, Darley Sprint Classic and VRC Sprint Classic, among other titles. Many of Australia’s finest sprinters have added their names to the Champions Sprint honour roll, including dual winners River Rough and Planet Ruler, as well as more recent champions Black Caviar and Nature Strip. Bart Cummings leads the training honours with six victories between 1973 and 2008. James McDonald is the race’s most successful modern-day jockey, with four wins. He surpassed Robert Heffernan’s record following Sunshine In Paris’ victory in 2024. Last year, crowd favourite Giga Kick relished the wet conditions to narrowly defeat the courageous mare Magic Time. The victory capped a memorable Melbourne Cup Carnival for jockey Mark Zahra, who rode eight winners during the week, including three Group 1 successes. VRC CHAMPIONS SPRINT
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODA1NTI=