The Victoria Racing Club is set to target international stars for its rich Champions Day races, like it does for the Melbourne Cup.
The club also confirmed it also set to review the Victorian Derby, with its distance again to be debated.
In an interview with the club’s executive general manager of racing Leigh Jordon, he told Betsy:
- The club will target trainers like Joseph O’Brien to send their stars alongside any Melbourne Cup runners to compete in the three Group 1 races on Champions Day
- The club doesn’t expect any prize money boosts as wagering in Victoria remains ‘flat’
- The club’s racing committee will shortly work through its review of its Spring carnival races, including the Victoria Derby
- The support races on Cup and Oaks Day were performing well
- How the inclusion of the Cox Plate at Flemington could deliver the club record crowds across two weeks
- How the All-Star Mile deserves recognition for being a top mile race
- That the club feels like it has a “new energy” after key personnel changes across its leadership
Big UK trainers to be targeted for Champions Day
The club made changes to its Cup week schedule in 2022, renaming Stakes Day to Champions Day. Alongside prize money boosts, the day has become one of the highlights of the racing year.
Jordon said the club would now target international trainers to further boost the three Group 1s on the card – the Champions Sprint, Mile and Stakes.
“What I’d like to love to see is for trainers like Joseph [O’Brien] … that it’s easy for someone like him or another trainer to bring a horse for the Melbourne Cup but then also bring a couple for Champions Day too,” he said.
“It just makes sense. And we are talking to the trainers of course about that because … it makes logical sense as there is three million dollar plus races, that especially European trainers, it’s significant money.”
“So I think, I think that’s our next sort of vision. If we can get some and we had, we did have some international runners, we had one of William Haggas’ came down after Sydney.”
“I think that’s the thing to, sort of, talk to the trainers. They’re coming out and if they’ve got, you know, can they bring, put another one or two on the plane? So maybe Joseph could be the man to do that.”
Future of the Derby
The debate about the future of the Derby is an annual event, with Gai Waterhouse weighing on late in 2025, arguing it cannot be touched.
Jordon confirmed the club’s racing sub-committee would work through the entire spring program in February on whether any changes will occur in 2026.
“We don’t want to pre-empt anything, but we review everything from the spring carnival in the middle of February, and we’ll look at the Derby,” he said.
“Interesting, if you are pulling out facts and figures from the carnival. If you take the Melbourne Cup out, the Derby’s been a number one wagered race over the four days for the last couple of years, so it always attracts a full field.”
“We review all the races every year, and we’ll definitely talk about the Derby. But I don’t really want to pre-empt anything until we meet.”
Jordon said the distance of the race will be one element covered in the review.
“Well, that seems to be one [topic] that’s been in the marketplace, discussion about the distance, and it’s a great industry, isn’t it? Everyone’s got a view.”
No expectation on prizemoney
Betsy has been told that clubs across Victoria don’t expect any significant prizemoney boosts in 2026. Racing Victoria will begin working through budgets shortly, but there is a belief RV will be challenged to maintain current prize money allocations, let alone give other races a boost.
“Obviously, we’re working with RV about prizemoney now,” Jordan said.
“They don’t do their prizemoney review until about April or May, so we’ll just have to see what funding they’ve got available.”
“I think turnover is pretty flat and we all know that prizemoney is a factor of turnover.”
“I sort of think there probably won’t be a lot of money available for prizemoney increases. And look, talking to trainers in that the money on offer is pretty significant.”
“Whether the race is three [million] or whether it’s five [million], you are probably still going to get the same horse.”
Cox Plate “will be massive”
The Cox Plate will be run at Flemington in 2026 as Moonee Valley undergoes its redevelopment, with the club expecting huge crowds across the Cox Plate and the Cup Carnival.
“Obviously with the Cox Plate being run at Flemington and we can see that we’re going to get a big crowd. And I think everyone’s going to say wow, Cox Plate Flemington, I think everyone’s going to look forward to it,” he said.
“So it’s a real test of having the Cox Plate and then the next week we’re going to come into the Melbourne Cup Carnival. It’s going to be two weeks of just unbelievable racing in Flemington.”
Cup: “I think that’s definitely working a lot better”
Betsy reported that improvements in communication with international trainers has seen views on the Cup vet protocols soften.
Jordon said as far as the club is concerned, the changes are noticeable and welcome.
“I think this year we had our we had the widest representation we’ve ever had. Racing Victoria did a great job. Obviously, we’re still doing the scanning, but I think they’re doing a great job with communication with the trainers,” he said
“And I think that’s definitely working a lot better. We had probably the highest acceptance rate for the Cup for a few years, I think we had thirty two or thirty three final acceptors, which has been the most we’ve had for the last, yes, three or four years.”
No changes for Cup or Oaks Day
Jordon also said the club believes that Cup and Oaks Day race cards are strong, despite some industry feedback, especially when backed up by attendances and wagering.
“It’s interesting from a racing angle. The races that are around the Cup are some of the highest turnover races for the year.”
“You’ve got to remember across the week we’ve got thirty seven races, so I think we’ve got the mix right on Cup Day and we’ve obviously got the races positioned in the right area around it, so I think Cup Day is fine.”
“Everyone likes to try and think, ‘oh, Oaks Day has to be better’. What you got to remember is that the crowd for Oaks Day is probably the biggest crowd you’ll ever get anywhere in Australia full stop but it’s also on a working day, so it was over fifty thousand. So, nowhere else in Australia gets that crowd. So, it’s probably, it’s one of the highest crowds in Australia and it’s on a working day. And the turnover for the meeting is in the top ten for the year. So, on those KPIs, we’re pretty happy.
Stars to target All-Star Mile
Jordon defended the All-Star Mile, a popular punching bag for critics.
He said that the race had suffered because of its entry conditions and the 2026 edition was shaping up nicely.
“I did speak to Jack Turnbull [from the Ciaron Maher stable] on the weekend and Pride of Jenni’s aiming there,” he said.
“And I think Buckaroo will actually go there as well.”
”I believe Matt Laurie mentioned Treasurethe Moment may look there and then the Hayes boys are looking at War Machine, that’s his aim as well.”
“I don’t know what Ceolwulf, I think he may may aim for the Australia Cup or a Sydney race, he might run in the All-Star Mile on the way through.”
”And I think Pericles and Tom Kitten might be a chance as well, so it’s developing nicely.”
The club is in “a great space”
The VRC has undergone significant change over the last 18 months, with the installation of new CEO Kylie Rogers, as well as an overhaul of her executive. The club has faced scrutiny of its financial position, which has seen it compete heavily in the event space. It also secured world-class music acts for the 2025 space which boosted crowd numbers, especially in the 18-35 age bracket racing continues to target.
“I think the club is in a great space. Kylie coming on as CEO has done a great job in focusing the club. Some great things have happened with the carnival, of things we’ve talked about Champions Day and New Year’s Eve.”
“And then to have Fisher playing on Champions Day. I mean, considering the weather we had, I think sixty five thousand. If we’d had good weather, we would have broken eighty easy.”
“We get autumn going; the club’s in a really good position financially and also structurally. We got the right people here. The energy levels are high, and we’re going to really… I mean, the VRC and the Cup Carnival is one of, recognized as one of the great carnivals around the world, and our job is to make sure that stays, but even go higher. And I think we’re in a great position to do that.”
