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Champions Stakes 2025 Betting Tips - Via Sistina Looks to Defend Her Title at Flemington
The 2025 Champions Stakes marks the finale of the Group 1 races at Flemington’s Champions Stakes Day. Via Sistina, a standout with eleven Group 1 victories including the recent Cox Plate, aims to conclude her stellar campaign by triumphing at the Stakes. Though her form this season hasn’t been as commanding, her trainer Chris Waller predicts a peak performance at Flemington. Other notable contenders include Tom Kitten, poised for the 2000m distance, and Benagil, offering promising value with a solid distance affinity—an event eagerly awaited by racing enthusiasts.
- 2025 Champions Stakes concludes Group 1 races at Flemington
- Via Sistina aims to defend her title; a favorite with strong credentials
- Tom Kitten and Benagil also pose serious competition
Expired
Cox Plate winner Via Sistina looks to defend her Champions Stakes title as a short-priced favourite to close out Flemington’s Group 1 action. (Getty)
The 2025 Champions Stakes brings down the curtain on the Group 1 races of Flemington’s Champions Stakes Day, concluding the elite-level action for Cup Week.
- 2025 Champions Stakes Tips
- 2025 Champions Stakes
All eyes will be on Cox Plate heroine Via Sistina, who chases another famous spring double and will start a dominant favourite. The question is whether she can justify the short quote and defend her crown to close out a stellar campaign.
2025 Champions Stakes Tips
2025 Champions Stakes Best Bet - Via Sistina
Via Sistina brought up Group 1 win number eleven when bravely defending her Cox Plate title at Moonee Valley, and her spring will culminate in the Champions Stakes — another feature she is looking to defend.
Her 2000m record under Chris Waller is outstanding, with six wins and two placings from eight Australian attempts over the distance.
Although she hasn’t been as dominant this campaign, Waller has suggested a peak performance is still to come, and she has met stronger opposition throughout the spring.
She was clearly being prepared for her Cox Plate defence and looks ready to produce another top-level performance at Flemington.
2025 Champions Stakes Next Best Bet - Tom Kitten
Tom Kitten appears to be crying out for 2000m, and his third-up chasing effort in the King Charles III Stakes supports that assessment, although rain on the day would not be ideal based on exposed form.
It has been a slower build-up, with his spring return delayed after he was scratched from the Memsie Stakes for playing up behind the barriers.
He was far too fresh in a slowly run Makybe Diva Stakes first-up before encountering a muddling tempo in the Feehan Stakes, while the fast-run King Charles III Stakes at Randwick last start should have brought him right on.
Outside of Via Sistina, Tom Kitten is probably the best weight-for-age horse in this field.
2025 Champions Stakes Value Bet - Benagil
Benagil produced a solid return at Caulfield over 1400m, hitting a flat spot mid-race before finding the line strongly through the final stages.
Despite a good tick-over jump-out after that October 11 run, she was left chasing Pride Of Jenni second-up in the Empire Rose Stakes — a front-runner capable of breaking the hearts of most rivals when in that mood.
Backing up quickly, the Australasian Oaks winner should appreciate the rise to 2000m, which looked to be her right range as a late three-year-old.
She handles soft ground and finds her sweet spot at this distance, making her an appealing value option for exotics.
2025 Champions Stakes
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Kitten | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Ben Melham | 8 | 59kg | $8.50 |
| 2 | Light Infantry Man | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | 3 | 59kg | $9.50 |
| 3 | Kovalica | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 2 | 59kg | $16 |
| 4 | Attrition | Mitchell Freedman | Craig Williams | 5 | 59kg | $14 |
| 5 | Alenquer | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Jamie Mott | 11 | 59kg | $51 |
| 6 | Pier | Darryn & Briar Weatherley | Ethan Brown | 6 | 59kg | $12 |
| 7 | Golden Path | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Jordan Childs | 4 | 59kg | $17 |
| 8 | Point King | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Celine Gaudray | 1 | 59kg | $41 |
| 9 | Zambardo | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Jamie Melham | 9 | 58.5kg | $26 |
| 10 | Via Sistina | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 10 | 57kg | $1.70 |
| 11 | Benagil | Glen Thompson | Michael Dee | 7 | 56.5kg | $19 |
Odds courtesy of Picklebet & correct on 06/11/2025.
Verdict
Our tips for the 2025 Champions Stakes are:
Via Sistina
To Win
$1.70 - 6 Units
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Tom Kitten
Top Two
$3.60 - 2 Units
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Benagil
Top Four
$2.75 - 2 Units
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