Emirates Stakes
The Emirates Stakes is Victoria's most important "Mile" race. Since 1972 it has been run over the metric distance of 1600 Metres, and prior to this it was Flemington's feature Mile race since 1919. It is the last Group 1 race in Melbourne for the Spring season.
The Emirates Stakes is run on the fourth day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Outstanding horses to have won the race in its recent history are Vain (1969), Taj Rossi (1973), Maybe Mahal (1976), Family of Man (1978), Better Loosen Up (1989), Shaftesbury Avenue (1990) and Testa Rossa (2000). An interesting fact about this race is that the Hayes family from Lindsay Park Stud trained five winners in succession between 1992-96.
The 2005 Emirates Stakes was substantially upgraded in prizemoney, which was increased by 50% to $AUD750,000 and the weight conditions were amended to that of a Quality Handicap. As such, no horse can be asked to carry more than 60kg in the race, making the Emirates Stakes an attractive proposition for connections of genuine WFA horses. In 2007, prizemoney for the Emirates Stakes was again raised - to $AUD1,000,000.
The Club expects that overseas trained horses will be seen in the Emirates Stakes sooner rather than later, as the event is now ideal for those overseas trainers with Emirates Melbourne Cup horses who also have a top class "miler" in their stables. The high prize money, weight conditions and the cost efficiencies associated with bringing two horses to Melbourne, instead of only one, all combine to make the Emirates Stakes a race with great international potential.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | All Silent | Dwayne Dunn | Grahame Begg | Sea Battle | Mimi Lebrock |
| 2007 | Tears I Cry | Nikita Beriman | Ciaron Maher | Bird Dancer | Shinzig |
| 2006 | Divine Madonna | Stephen Baster | Mark Kavanagh | Niconero | Valedictum |
| 2005 | Valedictum | S. King | Danny O'Brien | Infinite Grace | Shania Dane |
| 2004 | Sky Cuddle | J. Benbow | Peter Moody | Lad Of The Manor | Skewiff |
| 2003 | Titanic Jack | B. Prebble | Tom Hughes | True Glo | Crawl |
| 2002 | Scenic Peak | D. Nikolic | Dan Bougoure | Crawl | Excellerator |
| 2001 | Desert Eagle | K. McEvoy | Matthew Ellerton | Emission | La Bella Dama |
| 2000 | Testa Rossa | P. Payne | Dean Lawson | Weasel Will | Crawl |
| 1999 | Bonanova | J. Cassidy | Grahame Begg | Umrum | Nina Haraka |
| 1998 | Bezeal Bay | J. Cassidy | Paul Perry | Buster Jones | Pursuits |
| 1997 | Catalan Opening | D. Beadman | Bart Cummings | Penghulu | Sweet Delight |
| 1996 | Miss Margaret | R. S. Dye | Peter Hayes | Scenic Royale | Headstrong |
| 1995 | Seascay | D. Taggart | Peter Hayes | Tolanda | Juggler |
| 1994 | Seascay | D. Taggart | David Hayes | Idea | Western Red |
| 1993 | Primacy | R. Griffiths | David Hayes | Excited Angel | Pharoah |
| 1992 | Planet Ruler | Michael Clarke | David Hayes | Soho Square = 2 Vows = 2 |
|
| 1991 | Pontormo | Paddy Payne | Lee Freedman | Shaftesbury Avenue | Prince Salieri |
| 1990 | Shaftesbury Avenue | Spot The Rock | Pressman's Choice | ||
| 1989 | Better Loosen Up | Our Krona | Swiftsynd | ||
| 1988 | Our Westminster | Eastern Classic | True Dreams | ||
| 1987 | Warned | Groucho | Isomer | ||
| 1986 | Chanteclair | Eastern Classic | True Dreams | ||
| 1985 | Dazzling Duke | Mrs. Fitzherbet | Lord Ballina | ||
| 1984 | Riverdale | Exemplify | Keepers | ||
| 1983 | Honest Promise | French Current | Feeling Fit | ||
| 1982 | Magari | Getting Closer | Pride Of Egypt | ||
| 1981 | Tower Belle | Pride Of Century | Sovereign Red | ||
| 1980 | Silver Bounty | Blazing Bags | Western Bay | ||
| 1979 | Bit of a Skite | Consenting | Waitangirua | ||
| 1978 | Family of Man | Cool Minstrel | Arbre Chene | ||
| 1977 | Galway Bay | Raffindale | Romantic Dream | ||
| 1976 | Maybe Mahal | Bonfield | Visit | ||
| 1975 | Kiwi Can | Wave King | Purple Patch | ||
| 1974 | Skyjack | Bellota | Drifted In | ||
| 1973 | Taj Rossi | Millefleurs | Toltrice | ||
| 1972 | All Shot | Proud Prince | Upstairs | ||
| 1971 | Gunsynd | Tauto | Sky Call | ||
| 1970 | Levian | Regal Vista | Dual Choice | ||
| 1969 | Vain | Our Faith | Cyron | ||
| 1968 | Cyron | Bunratty Castle | Regal Rhythm | ||
| 1967 | Heroic Stone | Prince Jandiker | Baccare | ||
| 1966 | Storm Queen | Woambra | Heroic Stone | ||
| 1965 | Heroic Stone | Argentry | Betatip | ||
| 1965 | Heroic Stone | Argentry | Betatip | ||
| 1964 | Brandy Lad | Rashlore | Sunny Coronation | ||
| 1963 | Wenona Girl | Bengal Tiger | Check Up | ||
| 1962 | Woambra | Prince Regoli | Rochdale | ||
| 1961 | Aquanita | Royal Beltor | Berru | ||
| 1960 | Aquanita | Sky High | Mardene | ||
| 1959 | Wheat King | Saranover | Declaree | ||
| 1958 | Droll Prince | Highfire | Woolman | ||
| 1957 | Landy | Watch Out | Matrice | ||
| 1956 | Matrice | Grand Rajah | Talento | ||
| 1955 | Kosciusko | Cyklon King | Kamet | ||
| 1954 | Prince Courtauld | Cyklon King | Connaught | ||
| 1953 | Rio Janeiro | Preaciarus | Macfarlane | ||
| 1952 | Phaeton | Trizami | Desert Breeze | ||
| 1951 | Kintail | Oversight | Zezette | ||
| 1950 | Ellerslie | Spitfire | Gallant Rob | ||
| 1949 | Comedy Prince | Beau Gem | Flemish | ||
| 1948 | Beau John | Filipino | Solvive | ||
| 1947 | Money Moon | Star Of India | Tamerlane | ||
| 1946 | St. Fairy | The Sirdar | La Patrice | ||
| 1945 | Royal Gem | La Patrice | Typhoon | ||
| 1944 | Gay Revelry | The Bohemian | Leading Man | ||
| 1943 | Burberry | Sunrocks | Lilette | ||
| 1942 | Queen Baccha | Phocion | Lilette | ||
| 1941 | Burrabil | Rimveil | Evergreen | ||
| 1940 | Gold Salute | Judean | Remarc | ||
| 1939 | Manrico | Landlaw | Carpentier | ||
| 1938 | St. Constant | Judean | Mohican | ||
| 1937 | Mohican | King's Head | Regular Bachelor | ||
| 1936 | Gay Lover | Pamelus | Charles Fox | ||
| 1935 | Hostile | Whittingham | Press Gang | ||
| 1934 | L'elite | Australia Fair | Closing Time | ||
| 1933 | Care Free | Whittingham | Gordon's Leap | ||
| 1932 | Denis Boy | H. Jones | F. McGrath | Winooka | Dermid |
| 1931 | Dermid | A. Knox | J. Donohoe | Denis Boy | Pentheus |
| 1930 | Mystic Peak | A. Reed | P. B. Quinlan | Prince Voil | The Gay Mutineer |
| 1929 | Amounis | J. Munro | F. McGrath | Merab | Black Duchess |
| 1928 | Highland | W. Duncan | J. Holt | Karuma | Black Duchess |
| 1927 | Vaals | H. Jones | F. Williams | Treylon | Beau Hania |
| 1926 | Amounis | | F. McGrath |
Preposterer |
Gothic |
|
| 1925 | Waranton | B. Matson | E. J. Riley | Baldwin | Fuji San |
| 1924 | The Night Patrol | R. Lewis | J. Scobie | Beeline | Englefield |
| 1923 | Clarro | S. Cracknell | F. Williams | Easingwold | Sonora |
| 1922 | Violoncello | J. King | C. Bryans | Fingon | The Tyrant |
| 1921 | Beeline | E. O'Sullivan | J. Truskett | Demetrius | Molly's Robe |
| 1920 | Ethiopian | G. Harrison | M. T. McGrath | Demonte | Bandurria |
| 1919 | Chai | W. Leyshon | Lucknow | G. May | Hymestra |