Previously known as the Emirates Stakes, the 2018 Mackinnon Stakes is a Group 1 race that is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne in early November each year going forward from 2017.

The Emirates Stakes carries prizemoney of $2,000,000, is run over a distance of 2000m and is held as part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival under weight-for-age conditions on the day named after itself, Emirates Stakes Day, which is the final day of the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival.

2018 Mackinnon Stakes Results

• 1st: Trap For Fools
• 2nd: LaTrobe
• 3rd: Extra Brut

The Group 1 Emirates Stakes shares the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival with the other feature race on the program, the Group 1 Darley Classic for the sprinters.

The first Mackinnon Stakes, now the Emirates Stakes, was held in 1869 when it was won by a horse named Glencoe. The race was originally known as the Melbourne Stakes until 1937 when it became today’s Emirates Stakes. It was originally named after a former chairman of the Victoria Racing Club called L.K.S. Mackinnon.

The Mackinnon Stakes (Emirates Stakes) had been used as a final lead up race for the Group 1 $6m Melbourne Cup over 3200m on the following Tuesday when it was run on the preceding Saturday, but with trainers opting to bypass it with their Melbourne Cup contenders in recent times, the Victoria Racing Club decided to move it from the first Saturday of the Melbourne Cup Carnival to the last day, the following Saturday.

The moving back of the Emirates a week now fits in nicely with the top class weight for age horses who would have competed in the Weight For Age Championship, the Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m), at Moonee Valley two weeks earlier.

Cups King Bart Cummings was a master of using the Mackinnon Stakes as a final hit out for his Melbourne Cup runners with Rogan Josh (1999) and Let’s Elope (1991) completing the double for the master trainer.

As well as Rogan Josh and Let’s Elope winning both Spring Carnival features, Kiwi mare Empire Rose and the Colin Hayes trained At Talaq are among several other horses that have collected the double.

Rogan Josh also holds the Emirates Stakes (Mackinnon Stakes at the time) fastest winning time record of 2 minutes 0.34 seconds for his win in 1999.

Horses that run in the Emirates Stakes often come through the Group 1 Cox Plate one week earlier in the carnival. In recent years, Theseo (2008) and So You Think (2010) both won the Cox Plate and Emirates Stakes double.

2018 Mackinnon Stakes Field

The field for the Mackinnon Stakes will be finalised during Melbourne Cup week and is likely to be a replay of the of the Cox Plate with many of the weight for age horses having one more Spring Carnival run before heading to the spelling paddock.

The 2018 Mackinnon Stakes field (formerly known as the Mackinnon) will be published below.

2018 Mackinnon Stakes Nominations

The Emirates Stakes nominations usually draw horses from a range of preparations and often includes several top shelf three year olds who are well treated at the weight for age scale.

The 2018 Mackinnon Stakes nominations will be published below.

Mackinnon Stakes Results

Many horses have won the Emirates Stakes more than once, with the great Wakeful winning the race three years in a row (1901-03). One of the most famous Emirates Stakes winners was Phar Lap, who won the race twice in both 1930 and 1931. Other notable Emirates Stakes winners include Chester (1880), Carbine (1890), Poseidon (1907), Ajax (1938), Flight (1946), Comic Court (1949-50), Rain Lover (1968), Rubiton (1987), and Lonhro (2002).

Below you will find a list of Mackinnon Stakes winners since 2000 (Emirates Stakes 2016 and onwards).