VRC Sprint Classic (Champions Sprint) 2022

In a hurry? We’ve listed all the quick facts that you need to know about the VRC Sprint Classic:

The VRC Sprint Classic is a Group One race over 1,200m and takes place on the last Saturday of Melbourne Cup week. The race in 2022 will be held on Saturday 5th November at Flemington Racecourse. Looking back to the race in 2021, it was won by Nature Strip.

The VRC Sprint Classic is a 1,200m Group One weight-for-age race held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. It has a $3 million prize pool and is one of the major sprints of the Spring Racing Carnival.

Karina won the very first running of the VRC Sprint Classic (also known as the Champions Sprint), which was back in 1960. Back then it was called the Craven ‘A’ Stakes and it has been raced under a variety of different names since.

A few elite runners have won the VRC Sprint Classic in recent years, including Miss Andretti, Black Caviar, Buffering and Redzel. In fact, champion mare Black Caviar won the race twice in the early 2010s.

The fastest time in the VRC Sprint Classic over the last 20 years belongs to 2002 winner Rubitano, who clocked 1:07.17 to claim victory.

The VRC Sprint Classic is one of the major Group 1 sprint races on the Australian calendar. Our expert tipsters will put together a short list of VRC Sprint Classic tips to look out for in the leadup to the big race.

Given nominations are yet to be accepted for the 2022 VRC Sprint Classic, it is hard to provide any updates at this time. However, as the Spring Carnival gets going, the horses that are targeting this race will become clearer and we will be able to provide you with updates. If you are after VRC Sprint Classic horse tips, then we will keep you informed with which horses are likely to be running, so you can place your futures bets with confidence!

We will list The Sharks’ VRC Sprint Classic best tips for the race this year closer to the time of the race. Make sure you check back on this page for updates!

VRC Sprint Classic Tips From Experts

Our tips are not out for the VRC Sprint Classic in 2022 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field for the VRC Sprint Classic is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2022 VRC Sprint Classic.

You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned, or alternatively you can chat to The Shark to get the best tips for every day!

Like many of the top Group 1’s in the Spring Racing Carnival, the VRC Sprint Classic has a mixed betting history and there are a lot of important factors to consider before betting at Flemington. Make sure you have a read on below before you place your bets:

Should I Bet On The Favourite in the VRC Sprint Classic?

Like many of the top races in the spring, the VRC Sprint Classic has a mixed betting history. Five of the last six winners have had starting prices of $10 or less. The only outlier is 2015 winner Delectation who, at $14, beat Chautauqua and Terravista in a thrilling race.

When looking specifically at the favourites, champion mare Black Caviar won the race in 2010 and 2011, as she did in each of her 25 career starts. Since 2013, three favourites have gone on to win the VRC Sprint Classic, including the last two years. Redzel won in 2017 as a $4 favourite, while Bivouac ($3.20) and Nature Strip ($1.28) won in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Is Previous Form in the VRC Sprint Classic a Good Indicator of Future Success?

Like any race, the form and success of a horse entering the VRC Sprint Classic is important. When looking at the previous winners of the VRC Sprint Classic, many horses progress from The Everest.

The VRC Sprint Classic takes place on Mackinnon Stakes Day and typically falls two to three weeks after the $15 million race at Randwick. Redzel, the inaugural winner of The Everest ( 2017), went on to run in the VRC Sprint Classic three weeks later.

The same occurred in 2018, as VRC Sprint Classic winner Santa Ana Lane progressed out of The Everest alongside with Redzel, In Her Time, Brave Smash and US Navy Flag. In 2019, The Everest’s fourth place runner Nature Strip won the 2019 VRC Sprint Classic and in 2020, Bivouac won the VRC Sprint Classic after finishing second in The Everest.

In 2021, Nature Strip followed the path of Redzel and Santa Ana Lane, winning The Everest before going on to win the VRC Sprint Classic.

Gender

A good way of filtering through your VRC Sprint Classic top bets every year is to start by ruling out almost all of the mares in the field. We do not mean to discriminate based on the gender of the horse, however since Black Caviar won her second consecutive VRC Sprint Classic in 2011, the following ten winners have all been either geldings or stallions. Obviously if a mare like Black Caviar does come around again this is subject to change, but we can’t see that happening for some time.

Weight

Weight is something to strongly consider when it comes to horse racing. However, the VRC Sprint Classic is run under Weight For Age conditions, meaning that all horses will carry a set weight in accordance with the WFA scale. Since 2013, each winner of the VRC Sprint Classic has won while carrying 58.5kgs.

Age

Age is also another distinctive factor in determining a winner of any open handicap race and the VRC Sprint Classic is no different. Since 2013, we have seen a seven-year-old win, Nature Strip (2021) and two six-year-olds run victorious in the VRC Sprint Classic, Buffering (2013) and Santa Ana Lane (2018).

However, the other six races were won by horses in their ‘sweet spot’, aged either four (three winners) or five (three winners). Nature Strip joined Swick as the only seven-year-olds to win the VRC Sprint Classic in the past 30 years, who was victorious in 2008.

VRC Sprint Classic Best Bets

Our tips are not out for the VRC Sprint Classic in 2022 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field for the VRC Sprint Classic is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2022 VRC Sprint Classic.

You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned, or alternatively you can chat to The Shark to get the best tips for every day!

As the VRC Sprint Classic is the premier sprint race of the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival, bookies look to release odds for the race several months prior to the field being set. All horses that are likely to run in the upcoming VRC Sprint Classic are given odds by bookmakers so punters can participate in what is known as futures betting.

Once the bookies release the 2022 VRC Sprint Classic odds, they will obviously fluctuate frequently in the lead up to the race, especially when we have a better idea of which horses will be targeting the race and their form leading into the race.

Punting early on these markets can find you a favourite at prices of $10 or more, which will retain you a much higher return on investment. However, there is increased risk with doing this and you should be well aware.

Depending on when you place a futures bet on the 2022 VRC Sprint Classic, your horse may not even run but you won’t get your money back, occurring when the market is ‘All-In’ or closer to the starting date. If you are betting when it says ‘Before Noms’, you have the security of receiving your money back if your horse doesn’t run.

The 2022 VRC Sprint Classic odds are out, with Nature Strip currently listed as the $2.80 heavy favourite, also Classique Legend and Mazu are both on the second line of betting at $8.00. Here are the current odds, courtesy of Neds, as of mid-August:

When looking at a horse racing field, it is essentially just the lineup of horses that will be taking part in any given race. The VRC Sprint Classic is a Group 1 $2 million race and therefore some of the very sprinters going around will feature in the field.

With the race yet to be run, we still don’t know what the VRC Sprint Classic results for 2022 will be! However, check back in after the race and we will have all of the information on how the big race went and what the results are.

Looking back at last year, the $1.28 pre-race favourite Nature Strip capped off an incredible Spring Carnival with a 3.25L win. It was his third win from four runs this preparation, including a win in the $15M The Everest.

He finished, eased down, ahead of Swats That, Bella Nipotina and September Run, all of whom were fighting out the minor placings. Ultimately, they were no match for Nature Strip and James McDonald.

You’ve read the words, now watch the video! Have a squiz below at the 2021 VRC Sprint Classic race:

VRC Sprint Classic Winners

The results for the upcoming VRC Sprint Classic are not yet available, but in the meantime, you can have a look below at all the recent past winners: