Champions emerge as Carnival closes with a bang

The day's namesake, the $3 million Group 1 TAB Champions Stakes (2000m), is developing into another weight-for-age championship with the likes of Cox Plate quinella Anamoe and I'm Thunderstruck engaged.

However, it was the Annabel Neasham-trained Zaaki - successful in this race last year and fourth behind that pair in the Cox Plate last time out - who was able to retain his title with a front-running victory under Jamie Kah over stablemate Mo'unga with roughie Hezashocka back in third.

"I just love this horse, he’s been phenomenal.” - Annabel Neasham on Zaaki

Zaaki joined an illustrious group in taking the TAB Champions Stakes for the second straight year, with the former Mackinnon Stakes - with a history dating back to 1869 - last won back-to-back by Belmura Lad in 1980 and 1981. Others to have won it more than once include Rising Fast, Tranquil Star, Phar Lap and Wakeful.

“It’s very special, a lot of the owners are on the board of the VRC including the Chairman so to do it on their home track is so special," Neasham said. "I just love this horse, he’s been phenomenal.”

“I just feel emotional. They’re such great supporters of mine, the owners, and this horse has been so wonderful to me. To have started my career with a horse like this and as an eight-year-old, he has beaten a horse like Anamoe in emphatic style, it's amazing."

Another horse out of the Cox Plate, Alligator Blood, returned to a mile and was utterly dominant from the front in the $3 million Group 1 Kennedy Champions Mile (1600m). 

Ridden by regular partner Tim Clark, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-prepared Alligator Blood held off Toorak Handicap winner Tuvalu by a half-length with three-quarters of a length to Doncaster Mile victor Mr Brightside in third.

"He wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s as tough as they come." - Tim Clark on Alligator Blood

“It’s great to see him get another Group 1 on the board," Clark said. "He wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s as tough as they come and obviously didn’t have Zaaki on speed with him but he still was able to flow nicely and importantly he relaxed really well to give a good, strong kick.

“What a wonderful job and I can’t thank Gai and Adrian enough."

It is unlikely that the Michael Moroney-trained Roch 'n' Horse will ever be underestimated down the Flemington straight again after she made it a pair of Group 1 wins down the straight with her victory in the $3 million Group 1 Darley Champions Sprint (1200m).

Triumphant at 100-1 in the $1.5 million Group 1 Yulong Stud Newmarket Handicap (1200m) in March, the former Kiwi mare was at a much more palatable 19-1 in this race. However, standing in her way were giants like Nature Strip, Giga Kick and Bella Nipotina.

In what was one of the most thrilling finishes of the whole Melbourne Cup Carnival, jockey Jamie Mott drove Roch 'n' Horse through to nab Nature Strip by a short neck with a further head back to Queensland raider Baller in third. Just a length and a half separated the first 10 across the line.

"Unbelievable, this is truly what dreams are made of. I was lucky enough to get my first Group 1 only a month ago and to think I’m here on Champions Day going past Nature Strip, I can’t believe it." - Jamie Mott

Roch 'n' Horse joined Bivouac, Black Caviar, Miss Andretti and Rubitano in the last two decades in completing the autumn and spring sprint feature double in the same calendar year.

"Unbelievable, this is truly what dreams are made of," Mott said. "I was lucky enough to get my first Group 1 only a month ago and to think I’m here on Champions Day going past Nature Strip, I can’t believe it." 

Moroney, whose double on TAB Champions Stakes Day was boosted during the week by a second in the Lexus Melbourne Cup, added: "This has been a great track to me. I’ve won a couple of Derbies, an Oaks, the Melbourne Cup, a couple of Newmarkets down the straight. We’ve won most of the Group 1s here and it has been a great track for me. I think it is the best track in the world.

"A great performance by all my staff and my vets because she’s not the easiest at times but she’s a very good mare and we knew it was no fluke, the Newmarket, and we were happy to take them on today."

While the focus was understandably on the three features, a potential Lexus Melbourne Cup contender for 2022 emerged in Soulcombe, mightily impressive at his first Australian start in the $300,000 Group 3 Queen's Cup (2600m).

Ridden by Craig Williams, the Chris Waller-prepared Soulcombe emerged from near last to score cosily over Luncies and Captain Envious. He will now attempt to emulate Makybe Diva by winning the Lexus Melbourne Cup a year after taking out this race.

“He really was explosive the last 200 metres," Waller said. "It was a great experience for the horse and that’s what it’s all about with horses, especially when you’re coming from a different hemisphere. It is a different style of racing but no better place than Flemington.

"Most importantly, he knows how to win at Flemington now and that will give the horse a lot of confidence.” - Chris Waller on Soulcombe

Waller also took out the $300,000 Group 2 TAB Matriarch Stakes (2000m) with Atishu, ridden by James McDonald, to make it five wins for the week.

Doubles also went to Kah, who took the $150,000 Twitter Trophy (1600m) on Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr's French Emperor, and Moroney, whose Snapper closed off the Carnival in style by taking out the $150,000 World Horse Racing Grand Handicap (1100m).

Snapper was ridden by Jordan Childs, who rode a brace of his own, having taken out the $175,000 Listed The Amanda Elliott (1400m) on impressive unbeaten filly Magic Time for Grahame Begg.

At the conclusion of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, McDonald was named leading rider, winning the Ron Hutchinson Award after eight winners and an incredible haul throughout the week. Meanwhile, Nature Strip's runner-up finish was enough for Waller to snare his second consecutive J B Cummings Award for trainers.