From the race’s inauguration back in 1968 right through until 2024 we have a complete list of past Manikato Stakes winners. View every previous Manikato Stakes champion throughout history, plus extra details including the age, gender and weight carried to victory of the Manikato Stakes winners going back to the year 2000.

2021 Manikato Stakes Winner Jonker
2021 Manikato Stakes winner Jonker. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Manikato Stakes was first run in 1968 as the Freeway Stakes and winners prior to 1984 are known as the Freeway Stakes winners.

The inaugural winner was Winfreux (1968) before the 1969 victory of that year’s Golden Slipper – Caulfield Guineas winning three-year-old Vain.

The event is now named in honour of former star sprinter Manikato, who won this race twice in 1979 and 1982 as well as winning five consecutive editions of the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley from 1979 to 1983.

Dual Choice (1970 and 1971) was the first two-time Manikato Stakes / Freeway Stakes champion.

Multiple Freeway Stakes / Manikato Stakes winners: Dual Choice (1970, 1971), Tauto (1973, 1974), Manikato (1979, 1982), Spinning Hill (2002, 2003), Spark Of Life (2004, 2005), and Hey Doc (2017, 2020).

History shows four Cox Plate winners that also won the Manikato Stakes in the same year: Strawberry Road (1983), Rubiton (1987), Dane Ripper (1998), and Sunline (2000).

Other notable Manikato Stakes winners throughout the years include 2007 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year Miss Andretti (2006), Hay List (2010), Sepoy (2011), Buffering (2013), and “The Grey Flash” Chautauqua (2015) who famously won three straight editions of Sydney’s TJ Smith Stakes between 2015 and 2017.

The 2022 Manikato Stakes winner Bella Nipotina ($3.60) improved on her close second in the event the year before to win the rescheduled race by a runaway 4.75 lengths on Cox Plate Day.

The 2023 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes winner was star Kiwi-trained mare Imperatriz ($1.40) who saluted by over three lengths as the odds-on favourite for her fourth straight win at the track.

The 2024 Manikato Stakes winner was the Ciaron Maher-trained Southport Tycoon ($21) who enjoyed a narrow upset dashing home late off a gun ride by Mark Zahra to run down his stablemate, the beaten favourite Growing Empire ($3.80F), under the lights at The Valley second-up.

Manikato STAKES WINNERS 2000 – the present

COMPLETE LIST OF PAST Manikato STAKES WINNERS

Year Horse
2024 Southport Tycoon
2023 Imperatriz
2022 Bella Nipotina
2021 Jonker
2020 Hey Doc
2019 Loving Gaby
2018 Brave Smash
2017 Hey Doc
2016 Rebel Dane
2015 Chautauqua
2014 Lankan Rupee
2013 Buffering
2012 Sea Siren
2011 Sepoy
2010 Hay List
2009 Danleigh
2008 Typhoon Zed
2007 Gold Edition
2006 Miss Andretti
2005 Spark Of Life
2004 Spark Of Life
2003 Spinning Hill
2002 Spinning Hill
2001 Piavonic
2000 Sunline
1999 Redoute’s Choice
1998 Dane Ripper
1997 Spartacus
1996 Poetic King
1995 You Remember
1994 Spanish Mix
1993 Never Undercharge
1992 King Marauding
1991 Sonic Express
1990 Street Ruffian
1989 Our Westminster
1988 Rancho Ruler
1987 Rubiton
1986 Lockley’s Tradition
1985 Touch Of Genius
1984 Vite Cheval
1983 Strawberry Road
1982 Manikato
1981 Silver Bounty
1980 Grey Sapphire
1979 Manikato
1978 Vice Regal
1977 Ease The Squeeze
1976 Scamanda
1975 Lord Dudley
1974 Tauto
1973 Tauto
1972 Century
1971 Dual Choice
1970 Dual Choice
1969 Vain
1968 Winfreux

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