8-728: The VRC Champions Stakes , registered as the LKS Mackinnon Stakes , is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne , Australia on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup . Total prize money is A$ 3,000,000. The race is named after
16-663: A former chairman of the Victoria Racing Club , Lauchlan Kenneth Scobie ("L.K.S.") MacKinnon (1861–1935). It was originally held on the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Victoria Derby Day. In 2016, the VRC moved the race as the feature of the last day of the carnival, and moved the Cantala Stakes (the then feature of the last day of the carnival and at the time known as the Emirates Stakes) to
24-650: Is managed by an unpaid committee, elected by club members. In 1871, the Victorian Government appointed the VRC as trustees of a site of 352 acres (1.4 km ) of Crown Land, next to the Maribyrnong River , which became known as Flemington Racecourse . Much of the early success of the VRC is attributed to the administration of the first Secretary of the club, R. C. Bagot and his successors H. Byron Moore and A. V. Kewney . The Victoria Racing Club hosts four race meetings at Flemington during
32-979: The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival . The Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday in November, the Victoria Derby are held on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup, the VRC Oaks is on the Thursday following the Cup, and LKS MacKinnon Stakes is on the Saturday following the Oaks. The VRC also hosts race meetings during the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival . These meetings include Group 1 races for
40-520: The Melbourne Cup Carnival would attract quality horses, that raced in the W. S. Cox Plate , to run at the distance, rather than using the race to prepare for the Melbourne Cup . In 2022, the race was renamed the VRC Champions Stakes in order to align with the branding of the entire race day, which is now called Champions Day instead of Stakes Day. The attendance record for the race day was set in 2011, with 85,112 in attendance. In 1937
48-662: The VRC moved the Melbourne Stakes to earlier in the spring, running it in September, over a shorter distance of 1 mile (1.6 km). The race was the predecessor to the Turnbull Stakes . The following thoroughbreds have won the LKS MacKinnon Stakes – Melbourne Cup in the same year. Victoria Racing Club The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following
56-733: The disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual "race that stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup , which was first contested in 1861. From its foundation in 1864 until 2001, the Victoria Racing Club was the responsible authority for the conduct of thoroughbred racing in the State of Victoria , Australia. Since 2001, this role has been managed by Racing Victoria Limited . The VRC
64-476: The first day of the carnival. After the swap, the race would be known as simply the Emirates Stakes until 2017. Prior to 2016, many horses with a ranking high enough to avoid the ballot for the Melbourne Cup used the race as a lead-in to the 3,200 metre Cup, run on the first Tuesday in November (otherwise they race in the longer Hotham Handicap ). The VRC believed that placing the race on the last day of
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