Emirates Stakes

Winners and Past Results for the Emirates Stakes

The Emirates Stakes is an open race run under handicap conditions at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne during the spring racing carnival.

The Emirates Stakes, a 1600 metre  Group 1 event with a million dollars going to the winners. The event is scheduled on the final Saturday of the spring racing carnival at Flemington on what is also known as 'family day'.

It is the final Group 1 race of the season hosted by the Victoria Racing Club along with the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic. The day's race card also includes Group 2 Matriarch Stakes and Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which keep punters on their toes throughout the day. The Emirates Stakes attracts international trainers to what has become one of the richest mile events in Australian horse racing. Several horses enter the field from outings in the Chatham Stakes, Crystal Mile, and Toorak Handicap, which serve as good guides for racegoers. The race suits strong milers that have the ability to conquer the long Flemington straight.

The Emirates Stakes has been held under several other names including the VRC Cantala Stakes, George Adam Stakes, Amol Stakes, among others. Since 1998 it has been held as the Emirates Stakes.

The inaugural race was held in 1881 which was won by a horse named Courtenay. It remained a principal race until 1979 when it was elevated to Group 1. Way back in 1907-08, Iolaire scored back to back victories in the Emirates Stakes. Over the years some of the classiest performers have stamped their authority on the title. The gutsy Gunsynd, trained by TJ Smith was always a crowd favourite who also added the Emirates Stakes, then known as the George Adams Stakes in 1971. Seascay won the Stakes in 1994 and returned the next year to win convincingly once again. Other notable milers to win incldue Better Loosen Up in 1989, Beazeal Bay in 1998, Testa Rossa in 2000, Titanic Jack in 2003, Divine Madonna in 2006, All American in 2009, and Albert The Fat in 2011.

Horses may tackle the Group 3 Moonga Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse over a distance of 1400 meters before booking a place in the Emirates Stakes. Albert The Fat ran second in the Moonga Stakes before winning the 2011 Emirates Stakes.

Other lead up races include the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, Flight Stakes for three-year-old fillies, Epsom Handicap, and Toorak Handicap among others.

2012 Emirates Stakes

Rolling Pin and Fat Al were prominent early on, setting a decent pace, with pre-race favourite Fawkner a little further back on the fence and Happy Trails travelling nicely midfield for Damien Oliver. As the field made their way around the turn and into the straight, Fawkner was able to move forward on the fence and take the lead from the tiring front-runners, with Happy Trails and Secret Admirer joining in soon after. They went at it in a classic three-way battle, and with nothing between them, Happy Trails nodded his head at the right time to record a win by the narrowest of margins over Fawkner and Secret Admirer.

2012 Emirates Stakes result

1. Happy Trails
2. Fawkner
3. Secret Admirer

Then came:

4. Yosei
5. Wall Street
6. Solzhenitsyn
7. Ambidexter
8. Rolling Pin
9. Smokin' Joey
10. Happy Zero
11. Free Wheeling
12. Fat Al
13. He's Remarkable
14. Playing God
15. Pear Tart
16. Spirit Song