It’s been a wet and wild affair at Flemington for Champions Stakes Day, the final day of the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
But even the abysmal weather failed to stop the equine cream from rising to the top.
Raced on a heavy surface, champion jockeys Mark Zahra and Jamie Melham both landed early winning doubles, with Melham adding the Fisher Stakes (1,200m) and Matriarch Stakes (2,000m) to her Melbourne Cup trophy from last Tuesday.
In the Group One feature TAB Champions Stakes, defending 2024 Champions Stakes winner and two-time WS Cox Plate winner Via Sistina started odds-on favourite, however the heavy conditions did prompt some pre-race concerns for the undoubted weight-for-age champion of Australasia.
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“The conditions out there are horrendous,” Billy Slater confirmed in commentary for Channel Nine.
But wet or not, punters needn’t have worried.
Ridden astutely by James McDonald in a performance the jockey described as a ‘cut and paste of last year’, the Chris Waller-trained mare settled towards the rear of the field before cruising up with 500 metres to go and then powering clear from her rivals in the closing stages to comfortably seize the $1.8 million first prize while ridden hands and heels.
It was Via Sistina’s 12th Group One race win, and the 50th Group One success for the partnership of McDonald and Waller.
Other Group One feature winners at Flemington were Ceolwulf in the Champions Mile (1,600m) and Giga Kick in the Champions Sprint (1,200m).
Official Results: 2025 TAB Champions Stakes (Group One)
| 1st | Via Sistina (10) | Win $1.70 Place $1.16 |
| 2nd | Zambardo (9) | Place $2.90 |
| 3rd | Tom Kitten (1) | Place $2.45 |
| 4th | Pier (6) |
Dividends provided by Sportsbet.