Champions Sprint Tips, Best Bets, Odds, Field & More 2025

The Champions Sprint is one of the most well-known Group One races on the Australian calendar. It always features some of the best sprinters going around as they fight it out over a distance of 1,200m for the biggest slice of the $3 million in prize money that’s on offer.

Best Champions Sprint Betting Sites

Champions Sprint Quick Facts

There are some key facts about the Champions Sprint you should be across:

DateSaturday 8th November, 2025
Distance1,200 metres
StatusGroup 1
TrackFlemington Racecourse
ConditionsWeight-For-Age (WFA)
Prize Money$3,000,000
Latest WinnerSunshine In Paris

Key Details About the Champions Sprint

The Champions Sprint is run each year on what is known as Champions Day, and features two other Group One races; the Champions Stakes and Champions Mile. The race takes place on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup and rounds out day four of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington.

The race is known as the premier sprint event of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, and it was first run back in 1960 and won by Karina. Originally, the race was run on the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, on Victoria Derby Day. Things changed in 2006, and it was pushed back a week.

The Champions Sprint has had a host of name changes throughout its history:

  • 1960-1979: Craven ‘A' Stakes
  • 1980-1984: Pure-Pak Stakes
  • 1985-1993: Gadsden Stakes
  • 1994-1995: Southcorp Packaging Stakes
  • 1996-2006: Salinger Stakes
  • 2007: The Age Classic
  • 2008-2012: Patinack Farm Classic
  • 2013: VRC Sprint Classic
  • 2014-2017: Darley Classic
  • 2018-2024: VRC Sprint Classic/ Champions Sprint

In 2007, the conditions of the Champions Sprint changed, and it became a weight-for-age event. The race didn’t always hold Group One status; it wasn’t until 1979 that the race was granted Group One status. 

Champions Sprint Tips & Best Bets

The Australianbettingsites.net.au team provides horse racing tips for the Champions Sprint each year, which become available a couple of days out from the event, so make sure you look out for that. We also provide daily horse racing tips, so there is always something happening.

When it comes to our Group One races tips, like our Champions Sprint tips (or even our Doncaster Mile tips, The Everest tips, or Victoria Derby tips), we take the time to go through every runner in the final field. Our tips are based on data, and we aren’t afraid to take advantage of multiple betting markets.

We want to ensure you’re betting experience on the Champions Sprint is an enjoyable one, so we have developed a set of tips and tricks to follow:

  • Develop a Plan - Before you start betting this Champions Sprint Day, it’s a good idea to have a plan of attack. Things can sometimes get away from you, especially in the heat of the moment, so having a proper plan that you can fall back on can be helpful. In your plan, include things like how much money you’re willing to spend and more.
  • Check the Form Guide - The form guide is one of the most important aspects to consider before placing your bets. While it isn’t a foolproof tactic, looking at key form indicators can help point you in the direction of the next potential winner. Check out aspects like recent form, results at the same track/ trip and more.
  • Shop Around for Odds - Different betting sites will sometimes offer different odds for the same market, so you can pick up easy extra value by taking the time to shop around for the best odds before finalising your bets. You can do some manual work or use odds comparison tools to help you out.
  • Utilise Different Promotions - There’s no shortage of betting sites bonuses out there, so make sure you take advantage of them! This is where it is a good idea to have accounts with multiple different bookies, making it even easier to find and lock in extra value through utilising different promotions that are available.

Top Betting Sites for the Champions Sprint

We’ve had our skin in the game for a while now, and in this time, we have experienced pretty much everything the betting industry has to offer. There are a handful of bookies that we really like and would recommend to you if you’re on the hunt for a new option. We go through some of the best horse racing betting sites in this section.

Bet Right

Betright

Bet Right is right up there among the best racing bookies in Australia thanks to their comprehensive offering. From promotions to odds and form guide features, there is a lot to like with Bet Right. If you haven’t tried them before for racing, you are really missing out.

They offer a highlights feature, which provides quick and easy insights to some of the key runners in each race. This is perfect if you have left things to the last minute and want a quick tip to bet on. They even offer personalised recommendations which help to find your favourite racing venues and runners.

Aussie Sports & Local Racing

PlayUp

If you’re always on the go, we think you’ll like PlayUp as they have one of the best betting apps going around. It is so easy to use, and all it takes is a couple of taps and you’ve got your bets for the day all sorted. PlayUp also offers some pretty unique racing promotions, but you’ll have to log in to your account to see what’s available.

We also consider PlayUp as one of the best bookies in terms of racing odds. When we compared their odds with some of the other biggest players in the game, PlayUp was consistently just as good or even better than others. If you love your multis, the multi express feature at PlayUp makes building a multi very easy.

A Well-Rounded Betting Site That Ticks Most Boxes

VicBet

VicBet

VicBet is a true-blue Aussie racing bookie. In fact, they only offer markets on racing events and don’t cover sport. They started as an on-course bookie back in 1941 and are a family-run business that spans four generations. In 2005, they began their online operations, opening up to a much wider audience.

Each day, you can view all the big bets they’ve taken and see if that’s something you want to back as well. They offer a great range of markets for every racing event and also offer futures markets for some of the biggest races on the calendar, like the Melbourne Cup.

Earn Loyalty Rewards with Every Bet

BoomBet

Boombet

One of the new betting sites on this list, but you probably wouldn’t know it. Their platform is quite simple, but it makes it much easier to find what you’re looking for, creating a more effective user experience. They also have a decent range of promotions and odds available for racing.

For each race, you can see the fluctuations and speed maps of each runner. If you’re interested in the form, this is also something they provide. You can see runner’s comments, recent results, career record and more through BoomBet’s form.

Aussie-Owned. Fixed Odds. Racing Focus

Unibet

Unibet

Unibet is undoubtedly one of the biggest betting sites in the world. When it comes to horse racing, there is a lot to like. They offer live streaming on a select range of events and are known to have some of the most competitive odds in the industry.

For each race page, you are automatically shown the easy form, which includes quick insights on each runner’s rating for distance and speed map. If you want to take a deeper dive, they also provide the full form, which shows everything you could need.

Huge Range of Markets and An Industry-Leader in Live Streaming

Champions Sprint Betting Markets & Bet Types

For a race like the Champions Sprint, you’ll get the full complement of betting markets. This means you have the opportunity to stick with what you know, or try your hand at something new. Before you branch out, you must understand what’s involved with each bet type.

We have put together this table explaining all the most popular bet types available for the Champions Sprint:

Bet TypeDescription
Win A bet on the racehorse you think will win the Champions Sprint.
PlaceA bet on the racehorse you think will finish in the top three in the Champions Sprint.
Each WayA bet that morphs the win and place bets. Here, you place essentially two bets of equal stake amounts on the same racehorse, one on the win and the other on the place.
ExactaA bet on the racehorses you think will finish in the top two in the Champions Sprint (in the right order).
QuinellaA bet on the racehorses you think will finish in the top two in the Champions Sprint (in any order).
TrifectaA bet on the racehorses you think will finish in the top three in the Champions Sprint. You can “box” this bet, which allows for your chosen racehorses to finish in any order.
First FourA bet on the racehorses you think will finish in the top four in the Champions Sprint. You can “box” this bet, which allows for your chosen racehorses to finish in any order.
Quadrella (Quaddie) A bet on the racehorses you think will win four pre-selected races on the Champions Sprint race day. For more chances of landing your quaddie, add more than four runners to your bet.
TrebleA bet on the racehorses you think will win three pre-selected races on the Champions Sprint race day. For more chances of landing your treble, add more than three runners to your bet.
DoubleA bet on the racehorses you think will win two pre-selected races on the Champions Sprint race day. For more chances of landing your double, add more than two runners to your bet.

Champions Sprint Field & Form

The Champions Sprint always brings out some of the highest quality horses going around. With $3 million in prize money on the line, plus the prestige of winning a Group One race, there’s a lot on the line in the Champions Sprint each year.

A couple of days before the race is due to take place, the final field is confirmed. This provides you with all the information you need to start doing your form research. If you’re going to bet on the Champions Sprint, it is a good idea to check out the form guide beforehand.

See which runners took part in the latest edition of the Champions Sprint right here:

No. HorseTrainerJockeyBarrier

Weight

1GIGA KICKClayton Douglas
Mark Zahra
758.5kg
2OVERPASSBjorn BakerJoshua Parr258.5kg
3I AM UNSTOPPABLECiaron MaherDylan Browne McMonagle1158.5kg
4BARAQIELLeon & Troy Corstens & Will LarkinBen Allen158.5kg
5BELLA NIPOTINACiaron MaherCraig Williams1256.5kg
6SUNSHINE IN PARISAnnabel Neasham & Rob ArchibaldJames McDonald956.5kg
7LADY LAGUNAAnnabel Neasham & Rob ArchibaldNash Rawiller656.5kg
8ESTRIELLACiaron MaherBen Melham456.5kg
9RIGHT TO PARTYAnthony & Sam FreedmanJye McNeil356.5kg
10STRETAN ANGELPhillip StokesLuke Nolen556.5kg
11PRIVATE LIFEChris WallerDamian Lane853.5kg
12BELLATRIX STARMark WalkerMichael Dee1051.5kg
1
Horse
GIGA KICK
Trainer
Clayton Douglas
Jockey

Mark Zahra
Barrier
7

Weight

58.5kg
2
Horse
OVERPASS
Trainer
Bjorn Baker
Jockey
Joshua Parr
Barrier
2

Weight

58.5kg
3
Horse
I AM UNSTOPPABLE
Trainer
Ciaron Maher
Jockey
Dylan Browne McMonagle
Barrier
11

Weight

58.5kg
4
Horse
BARAQIEL
Trainer
Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin
Jockey
Ben Allen
Barrier
1

Weight

58.5kg
5
Horse
BELLA NIPOTINA
Trainer
Ciaron Maher
Jockey
Craig Williams
Barrier
12

Weight

56.5kg
6
Horse
SUNSHINE IN PARIS
Trainer
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
Jockey
James McDonald
Barrier
9

Weight

56.5kg
7
Horse
LADY LAGUNA
Trainer
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
Jockey
Nash Rawiller
Barrier
6

Weight

56.5kg
8
Horse
ESTRIELLA
Trainer
Ciaron Maher
Jockey
Ben Melham
Barrier
4

Weight

56.5kg
9
Horse
RIGHT TO PARTY
Trainer
Anthony & Sam Freedman
Jockey
Jye McNeil
Barrier
3

Weight

56.5kg
10
Horse
STRETAN ANGEL
Trainer
Phillip Stokes
Jockey
Luke Nolen
Barrier
5

Weight

56.5kg
11
Horse
PRIVATE LIFE
Trainer
Chris Waller
Jockey
Damian Lane
Barrier
8

Weight

53.5kg
12
Horse
BELLATRIX STAR
Trainer
Mark Walker
Jockey
Michael Dee
Barrier
10

Weight

51.5kg

Best Odds for the Champions Sprint

Finding the best odds is something pretty much every bettor is striving for. Over the years, we have honed our process when it comes to looking for the best odds, so it only takes us a handful of minutes. So, if you have a few minutes to spare before the big race, we recommend you shop around.

While it might not seem like it will make a major difference, every little bit helps. Also, if you are a regular bettor, things can add up pretty quickly, especially if you like to bet on roughies, as the discrepancy between the lowest and highest odds available is usually much larger.

One of the things you can do is use an odds comparison tool. This is a good place to start, but there are some limitations with using this type of tool. Firstly, they may only offer the odds on fixed win and place markets, so if you like the more exotic bets, this tool probably can’t help.

Secondly, the tool might not include all the bookies you want to check. So, this means a little bit of manual work is required. Using a desktop computer makes things a lot easier as well. The process involves opening up multiple tabs in your browser and going to the specific market for the Champions Sprint for different bookies. 

Latest Champions Sprint Results

The latest Champions Sprint was a fairly open affair, and one of the more favourite runners, Sunshine In Paris, was victorious. The mare was paying $5.00 at the jump, and after starting from barrier nine, she finished just 0.2L ahead of the pack.

Right To Party came out of the clouds in the closing stages of the race to finish in second place, after jumping from barrier three. Bella Nipotina finished in third place, meaning mares successfully completed the trifecta in the Champions Sprint, and she was just 0.3L off the leader.

See where all the runners finished in the Champions Sprint here:

FinishNo.HorseTrainerJockeyMarginBarrierWeight
16SUNSHINE IN PARISAnnabel Neasham & Rob ArchibaldJames McDonald-956.5kg
29RIGHT TO PARTYAnthony & Sam FreedmanJye McNeil0.2L356.5kg
35BELLA NIPOTINACiaron MaherCraig Williams0.3L1256.5kg
410STRETAN ANGELPhillip StokesLuke Nolen0.8L556.5kg
511PRIVATE LIFEChris WallerDamian Lane1.2L853.5kg
64BARAQIELLeon & Troy Corstens & Will LarkinBen Allen2.22L158.5kg
71GIGA KICKClayton DouglasMark Zahra2.4L758.5kg
82OVERPASSBjorn BakerJoshua Parr3.4L258.5kg
98ESTRIELLACiaron MaherBen Melham3.8L456.5kg
107LADY LAGUNAAnnabel Neasham & Rob ArchibaldNash Rawiller4L656.5kg
1112BELLATRIX STARMark WalkerMichael Dee5.7L1051.5kg
123I AM UNSTOPPABLECiaron MaherDylan Browne McMonagle9L1158.5kg
1
No.
6
Horse
SUNSHINE IN PARIS
Trainer
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
Jockey
James McDonald
Margin
-
Barrier
9
Weight
56.5kg
2
No.
9
Horse
RIGHT TO PARTY
Trainer
Anthony & Sam Freedman
Jockey
Jye McNeil
Margin
0.2L
Barrier
3
Weight
56.5kg
3
No.
5
Horse
BELLA NIPOTINA
Trainer
Ciaron Maher
Jockey
Craig Williams
Margin
0.3L
Barrier
12
Weight
56.5kg
4
No.
10
Horse
STRETAN ANGEL
Trainer
Phillip Stokes
Jockey
Luke Nolen
Margin
0.8L
Barrier
5
Weight
56.5kg
5
No.
11
Horse
PRIVATE LIFE
Trainer
Chris Waller
Jockey
Damian Lane
Margin
1.2L
Barrier
8
Weight
53.5kg
6
No.
4
Horse
BARAQIEL
Trainer
Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin
Jockey
Ben Allen
Margin
2.22L
Barrier
1
Weight
58.5kg
7
No.
1
Horse
GIGA KICK
Trainer
Clayton Douglas
Jockey
Mark Zahra
Margin
2.4L
Barrier
7
Weight
58.5kg
8
No.
2
Horse
OVERPASS
Trainer
Bjorn Baker
Jockey
Joshua Parr
Margin
3.4L
Barrier
2
Weight
58.5kg
9
No.
8
Horse
ESTRIELLA
Trainer
Ciaron Maher
Jockey
Ben Melham
Margin
3.8L
Barrier
4
Weight
56.5kg
10
No.
7
Horse
LADY LAGUNA
Trainer
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
Jockey
Nash Rawiller
Margin
4L
Barrier
6
Weight
56.5kg
11
No.
12
Horse
BELLATRIX STAR
Trainer
Mark Walker
Jockey
Michael Dee
Margin
5.7L
Barrier
10
Weight
51.5kg
12
No.
3
Horse
I AM UNSTOPPABLE
Trainer
Ciaron Maher
Jockey
Dylan Browne McMonagle
Margin
9L
Barrier
11
Weight
58.5kg

Champions Sprint Replay

It was an action-packed race, and you can see where each runner finished in the Champions Sprint here:

Champions Sprint Winners

Over the years, we have seen many high-profile runners win the Champions Sprint, and we have a recent history of all the winners here:

YearWinnerJockeyTrainer
2024Sunshine In ParisJames McDonaldAnnabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
2023ImperatrizOpie BossonMark Walker
2022Roch ‘N HorseJamie MottMichael Moroney
2021Nature StripJames McDonaldChris Waller
2020BivouacGlen BossJames Cummings
2019Nature StripJames McDonaldChris Waller
2018Santa Ana LaneMark ZahraAnthony Freedman
2017RedzelKerrin McEvoyPeter and Paul Snowden
2016MalaguerraBen MelhamPeter Gelagotis
2015DelectationJames McDonaldChris Waller
2014TerravistaHugh BowmanJoseph Pride
2013BufferingDamian BrowneRobert Heathcote
2012MentalKerrin McEvoyPeter Snowden
2011Black CaviarLuke NolenPeter G Moody
2010Black CaviarBen MelhamPeter G Moody

Champions Sprint FAQs

Hopefully, we have managed to answer all the questions you have about one of the biggest races on the Australian calendar. If not, this is the section for you as we go through all of the most commonly asked questions about the Champions Sprint.

If you’re ready to place some bets on the Champions Sprint, you’ll be pleased to know there are a lot of options available to you. We recommend bookies like Bet Right, PlayUp and VicBet for horse racing.

Each year, the Champions Sprint is raced at Flemington Racecourse.

The Champions Sprint is raced over a distance of 1,200m every year.

The Champions Sprint is raced under weight-for-age (WFA) conditions.

If you’re thinking of heading to Flemington Racecourse to watch the Champions Sprint live, we recommend you pre-purchase your tickets to secure your place. Head to the Victoria Racing Club website to see what options are available.

The Champions Sprint boasts some of the most prize money in Australia. Runners in the race are fighting it out for the lion’s share of the $3 million that’s on the line.

If you can’t make it to Flemington Racecourse, there are multiple livestreaming options available. You can catch the Champions Sprint through free-to-air channels, Foxtel, Kayo, or even through an Australian bookie (only a handful offer livestreaming services though)

Some of the most well-known and iconic horses have gone on to win the Champions Sprint, including Dance Hero, Planet Ruler, Black Caviar, Nature Strip and Redzel.

To find the best Champions Sprint odds, you can use an odds comparison tool or check manually. We recommend sticking with bookies like Unibet, BoomBet and PlayUp, as they have a reputation for offering competitive horse racing odds.

If you want tips for the Champions Sprint, look no further than Australian Betting Sites. We provide horse racing tips for all the biggest Group One races on the calendar, plus we provide daily tips as well.