Champions Mile

Champions Mile

Looking for this year’s Champions Mile betting odds, field and tips? The expert tipsters at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.

2024 Champions Mile winner Mr Brightside
2024 Champions Mile winner Mr Brightside. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Now known as the Champions Mile, this race has also been run under the following titles: Kennedy Cantala, Cantala Stakes, Emirates Stakes, Longines Mile and Kennedy Mile.

One of the country’s premier mile races the Champions Mile is now held the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup as part of VRC Champions Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse having been moved ahead of the 2022 edition. 

Champions Stakes Day is now host to three $3 million events with the Champions Mile run on the same card as the Group 1 VRC Champions Stakes (2000m) which was formerly known as the Mackinnon Stakes, and the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) which was previously called the VRC Sprint Classic.

Originally run on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the event was moved in 2016 to run on Victoria Derby Day the Saturday prior before reverting back to its original slot for 2022 and is now a weight-for-age race.

Key lead-up races into the Champions Mile include the Crystal Mile and Toorak Handicap. Fierce Impact (2019) was the last horse to compete the Toorak Handicap – Kennedy Cantala double

In 2023 Pride Of Jenni became the first mare in history to win the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes – Champions Mile double at the track and trip on successive Saturdays. She would return in the autumn and win the All-Star Mile as well as the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney by 6.5 lengths.

Mr Brightside returned for his third Champions Mile run improving off a 3rd in 2022 and 2nd in 2023 to win the 2024 edition and celebrate his eighth career Group 1 success!

Mr Brightside returned in 2025 to run top 2 in a host more elite level races including winning the Futurity Stakes. The 2024 Champions Mile form was further franked with the runner-up Antino winning the next year’s Group 1 Doomben Cup in 2025.

champions mile 2025 – Fast Facts

  • Former Race Name: Cantala Stakes
  • Race Day: Saturday, November 8, 2025
  • Track Location: Flemington Racecourse
  • Track Surface: Turf
  • Track Direction: Left-handed
  • Race Distance: 1,600 metres
  • Weight Conditions: Weight-for-age
  • Qualification: Three-year-olds and over (excluding maidens)
  • Type: Thoroughbred
  • Grade: Group 1
  • Operator: Victoria Racing Club
  • Prize Purse: $3,000,000
  • Inaugural Race: 1881
  • 2025 Champions Mile Winner: TBD

Champions Mile 2025 Results

The official 2025 Champions Mile results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday, November 8, 2025. 

  1. TBD
  2. TBD
  3. TBD

champions mile Betting 2025

There are many different ways to bet on the Champions Mile, and we have included some of the most popular options below:

Bet Type How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s Champions Mile
Win Bet Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Champions Mile.
Place Bet Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers in this year’s Champions Mile. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds.
Each-Way Bet If your runner finishes 1st in the Champions Mile, you will collect both the Win and the Place dividend. If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd you will collect the Place dividend.
Quinella Bet You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in any order, within the Champions Mile results, in order to win the Quinella.
Exacta Bet You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within the Champions Mile results to win the Exacta.
Trifecta Bet You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Champions Mile results to win the Trifecta.
First Four You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Champions Mile results to win the First 4.
Quadrella Bet (Quaddie) You must select the winners of four nominated races to win the Quaddie. This means you would have to select three other races apart from Champions Mile, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie.

How To Bet On The Champions Mile in 2025

Log in at neds.com.au

  1. Make sure to check out the form guide, once it’s released
  2. Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options
  3. Select the horse(s) for the race.

WHICH HORSE WILL WIN THE Champions Mile in 2025

The best way to pick which horse will win the Champions Mile in 2025 is to take into account their lead-up spring racing form, assess the barriers and look at their strike rate over the mile distance.

Additional factors to consider when picking the Champions Mile winner include:

  • Boys’ Club – Since 2000 just four mares have won the event: Pride Of Jenni (2023), Shillelagh (2017), Divine Madonna (2006) and Sky Cuddle (2004).
  • Lead-Ups: The Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) on Caulfield Cup Day serves as a nice Champions Mile lead-up and Boban (2013) was the last to do the double.

Champions Mile 2025 FAVOURITES

Favourites in 2025 Champions Mile betting at time of publish include the reigning champion Mr Brightside, Chris Waller’s multiple Group 1 winning mare Fangirl who ran third last year, and the 2024 runner-up Antino who subsequently won this year’s Doomben Cup race.

Boban ($4.60 in 2013) was the last Champions Mile favourite to win.

Champions Mile 2025 FieLD

The official Champions Mile 2025 field of final acceptances is announced the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.

Champions Mile 2025 Tips

Favourite: TBD

Best Bet: TBD

Best Roughie: TBD

Our insider Champions Mile 2025 tips will be detailed right here the week of the race and a full VRC Champions Stakes Day betting preview available on the Neds Blog.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2025 CHAMPIONS MILE PREVIEW & TIPS

Champions Mile Race Day 2025

Race day takes place on Saturday the 8th of November 2025. The 2025 Champions Mile is held on VRC Champions Stakes Day 2025, which is the fourth and last of the famous four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Along with the Kennedy Champions Mile the other key races on the card include the:

champions mile 2025 BARRIER DRAW

The official Champions Mile 2025 barrier draw is announced with final acceptances on the Wednesday leading-up to the race and will be published in our above Champions Mile Field section.

Champions Mile Race Time 2025

The official 2025 VRC Champions Mile race time is TBC

Champions Mile 2025 Nominations

2025 Champions Mile nominations close on the Monday of race week will be published below.

Champions Mile 2025 Weights

Weight-for-age conditions apply to this race. Weights must be declared by 4:00PM (AEDT) on the Monday of race week. Confirmed 2025 Champions Mile weights for the final acceptances will be published in our above Champions Mile Field section. 

Champions Mile 2025 Acceptances

2025 Champions Mile final acceptances must be declared before 9:30 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above Champions Mile Field section. 

Champions Mile jockeys 2025

Riders must be declared later than 1 PM on the Wednesday of race week and the official Champions Mile jockeys for 2025 will be published in our above Champions Mile Field section. 

Champions Mile Scratchings 2025

2025 Champions Mile scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday the 8th of November 2025. 

Champions Mile Prize Money 2025

The 2025 Champions Mile prize purse is worth $3 million and distributed from places first through to eighth.

Place Prize Money
1st $1,800,000
2nd $540,000
3rd $270,000
4th $135,000
5th $75,000
6th $60,000
7th $60,000
8th $60,000

Champions Mile Race Number 2025

The 2025 Champions Mile race number is TBC for VRC Champions Stakes Day, the last day of the VRC Spring Carnival, held on Saturday the 8th of November 2025. There are nine races in total that day at Flemington Racecourse.

Champions Mile form guide 2025

The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2025 Champions Mile Form Guide following final acceptances. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 CHAMPIONS MILE FORM GUIDE

Champions Mile LIVE 2025

You can watch or listen to the 2025 Champions Mile live, across the following mediums.

Telecast: Channel 9

Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)

Radio: Radio Sport National

Streaming: Racing.com

Mobile: Neds App

Kennedy Cantala / champions mile Winners

See below for the full list of Kennedy Cantala Stakes / Champions Mile winners going back to 1980. For a complete list of past winners dating back to the event’s inaugural running in 1881 – click here.

Year Winner Jockey Trainer/s Time
2025 TBD TBD TBD TBD
2024 Mr Brightside Craig Williams Ben, Will & JD Hayes 1:36.02
2023 Pride Of Jenni Declan Bates Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 1:34.75
2022 Alligator Blood Tim Clark Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 1:35.63
2021 Superstorm Damien Oliver Danny O’Brien 1:35.25
2020 Yulong Prince Damian Lane Chris Waller 1:34.5
2019 Fierce Impact Craig Williams Matthew Smith 1:38.2
2018 Best Of Days Craig Williams James Cummings 1:35.0
2017 Shillelagh Michael Dee Chris Waller 1:35.0
2016 Le Romain Hugh Bowman Kris Lees 1:34.9
2015 Turn Me Loose Kerrin Mcevoy M P Baker 1:36.2
2014 Hucklebuck Dom Tourneur Phillip Stokes 1:34.6
2013 Boban Glyn Schofield Chris Waller 1:36.5
2012 Happy Trails Damien Oliver Paul Beshara 1:35.9
2011 Albert The Fat Mark Zahra Chris Waller 1:36.0
2010 Wall Street Hugh Bowman Jeff Lynds 1:36.7
2009 All American Corey Brown D A Hayes 1:33.9
2008 All Silent Dwayne Dunn Grahame Begg 1:35.8
2007 Tears I Cry Nikita Beriman Ciaron Maher 1:35.2
2006 Divine Madonna S Baster Mark Kavanagh 1:35.5
2005 Valedictum Steven King Danny O’Brien 1:34.9
2004 Sky Cuddle J Benbow Peter G Moody 1:39.1
2003 Titanic Jack B Prebble T J Hughes Jnr 1:34.7
2002 Scenic Peak D Nikolic J R Hawkes 1:33.4
2001 Grand Delight Kerrin Mcevoy M J Ellerton 1:37.3
2000 Testa Rossa P Payne D R Lawson 1:35.5
1999 Bonanova J A Cassidy Grahame Begg 1:38.2
1998 Bezeal Bay J A Cassidy Paul Perry 1:35.2
1997 Catalan Opening D Beadman Bart Cummings 1:34.9
1996 Miss Margaret R S Dye P C Hayes 1:35.8
1995 Seascay D Taggart P C Hayes 1:36.0
1994 Seascay D Taggart P C Hayes 1:37.0
1993 Primacy Rod Griffiths A R Bell 1:37.2
1992 Planet Ruler M Clarke D A Hayes 1:34.2
1991 Pontormo P Payne Paul Cave 1:35.1
1990 Shaftesbury Avenue J A Cassidy Bart Cummings 1:36.8
1989 Better Loosen Up M Clarke D A Hayes 1:35.4
1988 Westminster P Cook Ms N Fraser 1:38.0
1987 Warned S D Marshall D L Freedman 1:35.5
1986 Chanteclair Mick Dittman T J Smith 1:38.0
1985 Dazzling Duke W Treloar A G Curtis 1:38.7
1984 Riverdale N Barker Neil Ward 1:37.0
1983 Honest Promise B S Compton V P Sutherland 1:35.1
1982 Magari 1:37.3
1981 Tower Belle 1:35.4
1980 Silver Bounty 1:35.9

How do I bet on the 2025 Champions Mile?

Log in at neds.com.au

Make sure to check out the form guide, once it’s released
Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options
Select the horse(s) for the race.

Which horse will win the 2025 Champions Mile?

The best way to pick which horse will win the Champions Mile in 2025 is to take into account their lead-up spring racing form, assess the barriers and look at their strike rate over the mile distance.

Additional factors to consider when picking the Champions Mile winner include:

Boys' Club - Since 2000 just four mares have won the event: Pride Of Jenni (2023), Shillelagh (2017), Divine Madonna (2006) and Sky Cuddle (2004).
Lead-Ups: The Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) on Caulfield Cup Day serves as a nice Champions Mile lead-up and Boban (2013) was the last to do the double.