VRC Champions Sprint Preview

Everest winner Tempted heads the market as she makes her Flemington debut, but she faces a formidable challenge from straight-track winner Joliestar, last year’s winner Giga Kick and the ever-consistent Headwall.

With speed, class and tactical variety throughout, this should be a thrilling edition of one of the Australia's premier sprint features.

We take a look at some of the main contenders ready to light up the Flemington straight. 

Race 6 – VRC Champions Sprint (1200m) – 3:50pm

Group 1. Of $3,000,000.1st $1,800,000, 2nd $540,000, 3rd $270,000, 4th $135,000, 5th $75,000, 6th $60,000, 7th $60,000, 8th $60,000.

Standard Weight for Age. For Three-Years-Old and Upwards. Apprentices cannot claim.

Godolphin heroine Tempted will look to complete a historic week for trainer Ciaron Maher. The Everest winner makes her way to Flemington for the first time in her 15-start career. She has won 10 of those outings, including a last-start victory in The TAB Everest (1200m) when she defeated current world’s top-rated star Ka Ying Rising.

Since joining the Maher stable, from the Hong Kong-bound James Cummings stable in the spring of 2025, she has been defeated only once at 1200 metres, when second to Ka Ying Rising in the 2025 Everest, and has been formidable since. She won the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) in the autumn before stringing three wins together this spring: the Group 2 Concorde Stakes (1000m), Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 TAB Everest (1200m).

It will be a delight to see her light up the Flemington straight and give the sea of racegoers a great thrill.

Waller’s brilliant sprint mare Joliestar is back for another crack at the Flemington straight, where her previous efforts have been excellent. Her Group 1 Yulong Newmarket Handicap (1200m) win was breathtaking when carrying 56kg, while her run in this race last year on a wet track was commendable behind top wet-trackers Giga Kick and Magic Time.

She won the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) in the autumn, defeating Giga Kick, Skybird and Mazu, who all line up here. She then travelled to Royal Ascot for the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m), where she looked all over a winner before being grabbed late in a brave effort.

She returned in the spring to run well fresh behind Mazu in the Group 2 Shorts (1100m), then was right in the finish of The Everest, beaten only half a length by Tempted and Ka Ying Rising. She holds the straight-experience edge over Tempted and reunites with James McDonald as he looks to cap off a strong Cup Carnival.

Headwall has finished second twice down the Flemington straight, most recently in the 2025 Group 1 Yulong Newmarket Handicap (1200m) behind Joliestar. The Matthew Smith-trained sprinter has an electric turn of foot and a big stride, but was unable to reel in Pericles last start in the Group 2 Russell Balding Stakes (1300m).

Recent Lexus Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Ethan Brown takes the ride and will be hoping to cap off one of the biggest weeks of his career with a feature sprint win. Drawn in the middle of the pack, Headwall will need clear running to unleash his explosive burst of speed. If the gaps appear at the right time, he is a genuine knockout chance.

Of the others.....

Giga Kick returns to the scene of his epic win last year, which produced one of the best crowd reactions of the week. He has been unable to recapture his past spring form so far, but the expected conditions could help him run an improved race.

Caballus, from the in-form Bjorn Baker stable, will give a great sight if allowed to bowl along in front. Brilliant sprint mare Skybird already has a feature Flemington Group 1 win on her resume and caught the eye after having little luck in the Group 2 Sydney Stakes (1200m). She will be flying late.