The Manikato Stakes is a Moonee Valley Racing Club Group 1 horse race held at the Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne every September. It is a weight-for-age event over 1,200 metres and has prize money of $500,000. The race is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge and has been since 2009, this means the winner of the Manikato Stakes automatically qualifies for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in the US.
Manikato Stakes Information
- Date: September
- Carnival: Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival
- Racecourse: Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne
- Distance: 1,200 metres
- Race Type: Weight-For-Age
- Group Listing: Group 1
- Prize Money: $500,000
Manikato Stakes History
The first Manikato Stakes was run in 1968 over six furlongs and as a Principal race with Winfreux taking top spot. In 1972 it converted to 1,200 metres, and in 1979 became a Group 2 race, not finding Group 1 status until 1989. From its inception up until 1983 it was known as the ‘Freeway Stakes’, and since 1984 has been known as the ‘Manikato Stakes’ after the horse Manikato who won the race twice (1979 and 1982), and had five consecutive wins of the William Reid Stakes (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983).
