2010 Spring Racing Carnival

Emirates Stakes

• Type: Group 1 handicap race
• Distance: 1600 metres
• Age: Open
• Racecourse: Flemington, Melbourne

The Emirates Stakes is the richest 1600 metre race in Victorian competitive betting and known as the best milers race. Held on the final day of the Spring Racing Carnival, the race marks the end of a season filled with triumphs, neck to neck battles and inspirational stories. The day of the race is considered a family day with plenty of carnival activities held to celebrate the final chapter of the carnival. As the last group 1 race, the Emirates Stakes is a heated race as for many horses it will be their last shot at achieving victory and adding their name to the list of the Spring Racing Carnival’s winners.

The Emirates Stakes has a long history dating back to 1919 when it was first named the Cantala Stakes. In the following decades, the race would be renamed several times starting with the George Adams Handicap in 1961, then the Ampol Stakes in 1985, the Honda Stakes in 1989, the Nissan Stakes in 1993, the Chrysler Stakes in 1996 and was finally named the Emirates Stakes in 1998. The current record holder is Scenic Peak who in 2002, won in 1 minute 33.49 seconds however the best winning took place in 1992 when an ageing galloper named Planet Ruler, defeated his odds of 30-1 and stormed home to take out the title and left many punters speechless. Catalan Opening managed to overcome a poor tenth place in 1996 when the racehorse won the following year, amending the previous year’s poor effort. Yet the greatest disappointment in this race was in 2004 when the crowd favourite Grand Armee placed only thirteenth behind Sky Cuddle who took out the race.

Emirates Stakes Winners