Champagne Stakes Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025

The Champagne Stakes, a set-weights middle-distance race, is one of the biggest races on the Australian calendar. It is raced each year at Randwick and in 2025 the Champagne Stakes will take place on April 19. The 1,600m trip is worth a cool $1 million in prize money and always attracts a quality field.

There are a few quick facts that you should know about the Champagne Stakes to get you started, which you can check out here:

The Champagne Stakes is one of the last races on Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival and it is true what they say; “save the best for last”! On the same day at Randwick, we also see the All Aged Stakes take place on the same day.

There’s no doubt that the Champagne Stakes is one of the biggest Group One races on the calendar and the race is in fact the final leg of the 2YO Triple Crown. The previous two races in the 2YO Triple Crown include the Golden Slipper and the Inglis Sires Produce Stakes.

Horses that perform well in the Champagne Stakes will usually continue to see the same sort of success in their 3YO season. So, it is a good idea to keep a mental note of the quality performers in this race to see how they continue to grow and develop.

The majority of the racing that takes place during Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival takes place at Randwick Racecourse, which is one of the top tracks in Australia. Some of the key races that take place at Randwick Racecourse over Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival include the  Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Doncaster Mile.

The team at OnlyRacing will cover all the important information you need to know about the Champagne Stakes. We will go through Champagne Stakes tips, odds and betting information, as well as details on the history, results and horses. We have the most comprehensive information about the Champagne Stakes going around!

The next section on this page is our all-important Champagne Stakes tips, but before that, why don’t you check out the breakdown of the prize money here:

The thing you’ve all been waiting for, OnlyRacing’s Champagne Stakes tips! We will provide all our free horse racing tips for the Champagne Stakes right here in this section. On top of this, we also provide Randwick tips all year round, so if it isn’t Champagne Stakes race time, you can still get your fill of tips.

So, who do our experts have on top for the Champagne Stakes? Well, you have certainly come at the right time as it is currently race week and our experts have just gone through every runner in the field and analysed their chances of success. We have provided our best bet, next best and best roughie for the race.

Now is the time! So, check out our 2025 Champagne Stakes tips right here:

Champagne Stakes Best Bet - Nepotism

Another race, another fairly open field, but for the 2025 Champagne Stakes, I’ve put Nepotism, who is the current narrow favourite, on top. At the moment, you can pick up Nepotism with odds of $4.00 at PlayUp. The Baillieu Handicap seems to be one of the ideal lead-up races and Nepotism won that race last time out by 1.8L.

That win also came in Heavy track conditions. I don’t think the Randwick track will be rated Heavy on Saturday, but it will most likely be in the Soft zone. He is bred well, being by Brutal and out of Brigite (who is the half-sister of Black Caviar). The 1,600m that he steps up to here shouldn't be an issue here either. Looks like he’ll break through for his first Group 1 win.

Champagne Stakes Next Best - Within The Law

If anyone is going to give Nepotism a run for his money, I think it’ll come at the hands of Within The Law. Within The Law is currently on the second line of betting and you can pick her up with odds of $5.00 to win the Champagne Stakes on Saturday. Had a bit of a hiccup in the Golden Slipper but has since bounced back from that.

Last time out, she finished third in the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes, by 1.9L. She’s on the one week turnaround here but she was fast finishing in that race and I think she’ll enjoy the step up from 1,200m to 1,600m here. She has some pretty fast closing speed and drawing barrier three works well for her. 

Champagne Stakes Best Roughie - Spicy Lu

I’ve decided to put Spicy Lu in as my best roughie for the Champagne Stakes on Saturday and the filly is currently going around with odds of $13, thanks to PlayUp. She comes into this race looking to claim her fourth victory in a row. While this is clearly a big step up, winning form is winning form.

Her first two victories were at country level, however, last time out, she got the W in a Listed race, the Fernhill Mile, also at Randwick over the 1,600m. Rachel King was onboard for her latest victory and she takes the saddle once again. The likes of Broadsiding, Tom Kitten and Converge have all won the Fernhill Mile before going on to Group 1 victories.

Thinking of betting on the Champagne Stakes? Well, before you do, make sure you check out all the details in this Champagne Stakes betting section! You must have a solid idea of both who you are going to bet with and what you are going to bet on.

In Australia, there are so many different betting apps that it can be difficult to figure out which one is best for you! The team here at OnlyRacing have studied all the top betting sites and provided comprehensive reviews on them. 

Our reviews include information on each bookie like banking options, betting bonuses, betting markets and more. Some of the horse racing betting sites that we like for the Champagne Stakes include Volcanobet, WellBet and EliteBet. Those are just three options though, so if you’re looking for more, be sure to check our "Betting Sites" section.

Along with figuring out who to bet with, you also have to figure out what you want to bet on. All the best betting apps will offer a huge range of betting markets. Ranging from simple Win/ Place Bets to more complex bets like a First Four, you should choose an option that you understand completely.

There are also some betting sites bonuses that you should look out for as well. Each bookie has different types of bonuses available and they are changing all the time, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled, you don’t want to miss out on a good deal!

The Champagne Stakes always attracts a quality field and we are expecting more of the same in 2025. The final field has now been confirmed and as expected, we see a high-quality field. Which runner will rise to the top and claim a Group 1 victory and the mammoth amount of prize money that comes with it?

On top of this, if the odds are available, you’ll find the odds of the more favoured runners listed in our “Odds” section later on this page. By checking out the odds, you’ll have a better idea of horses that are more likely to make an appearance in the Champagne Stakes field. But remember, as soon as the odds are released, they will be constantly changing.

Let’s take a look at the confirmed 2025 Champagne Stakes field right here:

For the 2025 Champagne Stakes, we see a field of 12 runners confirmed, which is an increase from the eight runners confirmed in 2024. We also haven’t seen any emergencies listed either, so if there are any scratchings before the race, the field size will be reduced. At the time of writing, we haven’t seen any pre-race scratchings just yet.

Scratchings happen a lot in horse racing, even in races like the Champagne Stakes where there is the prestige of a Group 1 victory up for grabs. A horse may be scratched for several different reasons and most of the time there is no warning. So, if you’ve got a bet on the race, it is a good idea to keep an eye on things so there aren’t any last-minute surprises.

It also pays to check out the barrier draw before the race. Each runner has their own racing style which may suit an inside or outside barrier more. As well as this, due to the track layout at the distance, some barriers have seen more success over the years in the Champagne Stakes compared to others.

While some people might find doing the Champagne Stakes form guide a little daunting, not us here at OnlyRacing! Going through pages of data to find patterns that could point towards a Champagne Stakes winner is our jam and we want to share all our findings with you. 

We’ve done all the heavy lifting and found some interesting patterns in the data that you just can’t ignore. So, if you’re interested in betting with your head and not your heart, our Champagne Stakes form guide section is the place to be. Why don’t you check out all our findings?

In terms of the ideal lead-up run, all the data clearly points towards the Inglis Sires Produce Stakes, which is run two weeks before the Champagne Stakes. In the last 34 years, we’ve seen 27 winners come from the Inglis Sires Produce Stakes. 

It’s pretty clear that Group 1 is the ideal lead-up, but if you’d like to check out other potential good lead-up options, the Fernhill Mile is worth looking at. In 2024, Broadsiding won the Fernhill Mile before winning the Champagne Stakes.

The Champagne Stakes winner almost always runs in Sydney before contesting this Group 1. In fact, there has only been one winner since 1983 that came off a lead-up race outside of Sydney, which was Go Indy Go in 2014. 

As well as this, the Champagne Stakes winner comes into the race in good form. Since 2006, there have only been two runners (The Mission in 2017 and Seabrook in 2018) to finish worse than fourth in their lead-up race to the Champagne Stakes.

If you are the kind of person who likes to bet on the favourite, then we’ve got some good news for you! In the last 35 years, we’ve seen 18 favourites win the Champagne Stakes. On top of this, we haven’t seen a runner win at double-digit odds since all the way back in 2010 with Skilled, who was listed at $10. 

When it comes to the starting barrier of the winner, wide barriers haven’t seen the greatest level of success. In the past 36 years, we have seen only four Champagne Stakes winners jump from a double-digit barrier. Take that stat with a grain of salt though, as we have seen recently that not many editions of the Champagne Stakes had held 10 or more runners in the field.

Since 1989, the males have had more success than females in the Champagne Stakes with 21 colts winning the race in this time along with two geldings. Looking more recently, in the last 22 years, we’ve seen nine fillies win the Group 1, most recently She's Extreme in 2022.

There have been many editions of the Champagne Stakes, which means there have been many horses that have won this great race. Our Champagne Stakes horses section goes into detail about some of the best-ever horses that have competed and won the race.

These horses have accomplished a lot throughout their career including multiple Group 1 wins, a huge chunk of prize money and some of them even have special honours as well. We had to make some difficult decisions and be ruthless as we could only fit a handful of horses in this section.

See which Champagne Stakes horses made the cut here:

Heroic - 1924

Heroic won 21 races throughout the 1920s in Australia, including the 1924 Champagne Stakes. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003 and won other Group 1 races including the Cox Plate, the Newmarket Handicap, the Australian Derby along with the Memsie Stakes.

Ajax - 1937

What can we say about Ajax that hasn’t already been said? Probably not a lot, so we will just stick with the facts! The stallion had a career record of 46:36-7-2, which included an 18-race win streak. He was honoured in 2004 by being inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame and one major Group 1 races like the Cox Plate, the All Aged Stakes, the Caulfield Guineas and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Todman - 1957

Todman won the 1957 Champagne Stakes and left a major impact on the horse racing industry in Australia. So much so that he has a Group 2 named in his honour, the Todman Stakes, which is run each year in March at Randwick Racecourse. He had a career record of 12:10-1-0 and won races like the Golden Slipper and the Futurity Stakes.

Luskin Star - 1977

Luskin Star successfully completed the 2YO Triple Crown and had a career record of 17:13-3-0. Some of the other races he won throughout his career included; the Golden Slipper, the Caulfield Guineas, the Inglis Sires Produce Stakes as well as The Galaxy. It’s no wonder that Luskin Star was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame!

Samantha Miss - 2008

Throughout her career, Samantha Miss won three Group 1 races which helped her amass a total of almost $2 million in prize money. Other than the Champagne Stakes, Samantha Miss won the Flight Stakes along with the VRC Oaks. In the end, she had a career record of 12:7-2-2.

Pierro - 2012

Throughout Pierro’s career, he won $4.5 million in prize money thanks to a record of 14:11-2-1. One of his biggest wins was in the Golden Slipper, but he also won races like the Inglis Sires Produce Stakes, the George Ryder Stakes and the Canterbury Stake.

Checking out the Champagne Stakes odds is very important before you place any bets. It is also worthwhile looking at a couple of different horse racing betting apps because you might see different odds for the same market! Each year, before the Champagne Stakes, all the best bookies will open horse racing markets for the race.

There will be plenty of markets to bet on for the race during race week including bet types like the First Four, Quaddie, Trifecta and so much more. Our favourite bookie going around at the moment, PlayUp, has now released their market for the Champagne Stakes.

This means that if you want to get your bets on, now is the time! One of the things we recommend here at OnlyRacing is to get your bets on as early as possible. We usually find that runners are listed at higher odds weeks out from the event when compared to if you’re betting the day of the race.

You’ll likely get more value and bang for your buck by betting a few weeks out from the event. On top of this, if you’re betting when the market is listed as “Before Noms” then you’ll end up getting your stake back if the horse you bet on doesn’t make the final field! Certainly something worth considering if you’ve got an early hot tip for the Champagne Stakes.

The 2025 Champagne Stakes odds are now available from PlayUp, check them out here:

*Odds correct as of 17/04/2025.

Let’s take a look back at the interesting and rich history of the Champagne Stakes, why don’t we? The first running of the Champagne Stakes was all the way back in 1861 and the victor was Exeter. It took until 1980 for the Champagne Stakes to achieve Group 1 status, but it was a highly competitive race well before the race status was upgraded.

As previously touched on, the Champagne Stakes is one of the last races that takes place each year in Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival, which is one of the biggest horse racing carnivals on the calendar. It is run a week after The Championships, which is a two-week event including races like the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Doncaster Mile.

It seems as though the Champagne Stakes couldn’t decide what distance it wanted to be run at! Over the years, there have been multiple changes in distance, but since 1972, the race has been run at the distance we know the race at today, 1,600m. The race record is currently held by Castelvecchio, who ran the Champagne Stakes in a time of 1:33.31 in 2019.

There is a three-way tie for the most successful Champagne Stakes trainer with Tom Lamond, Maurice McCarten and Tommy Smith all training six winners of this Group 1. Gai Waterhouse is hot on their heels though, with five wins as of right now.

There are so many other Group 1s on the Australian racing calendar. With Group 1 racing almost every week, we are spoiled for choice in Australia. If you’d like to learn more about some of the other Group 1s that are on the calendar, be sure to check out our Group One races list.

Who will come out on top in the 2025 Champagne Stakes? Well, if we could see the future, we’d be very, very rich, but alas, this is not the case! We will provide all the juicy Champagne Stakes results details as soon as the race has been run and won. Until then, let’s take a look at what went down in 2024.

The 2024 Champagne Stakes was taken out by Broadsiding, who was on the second line of betting. Broadsiding came from near the back of the field on a Heavy10 track to claim victory by just 0.8L. Linebacker was the runner who finished in second place and just didn’t have enough in the tank to go with Broadsiding.

Fearless finished in third place, a further 5.3L off the pace. The pre-race favourite, Manaal, finished in fourth place. In total, there was 20.2L that separated the entire field, with the race run in a time of 1:42.71.

Take a look at where each runner finished in the 2024 Champagne Stakes here:

We’ve also got a Champagne Stakes race replay if that tickles your fancy. Check out the replay to see how the race unfolded:

When it comes to Champagne Stakes winners, there can only be one each year (unless there is a dead heat, that is!). If you want to know which runners have won the Champagne Stakes in recent years, check out the table here:

You are now pretty much a Champagne Stakes expert, but before we let you know and share your knowledge with the world, we have one final section for you. Our Champagne Stakes FAQs will answer any common last-minute questions you may have. Check out the FAQs here: