Great History within the Turnbull Stakes run at Flemington on Saturday.
Via Sistina won as part of a record equalling season. Who adds their name in the 2025 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday?
2025 TURNBULL STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Turnbull Stakes is a Group 1 race run under Set Weights and Penalty conditions for open class horses at Flemington conducted by the Victoria Racing Club.
The Turnbull Stakes is run over 2000m. It was first run in 1865 and was won by The Sign.
The Turnbull Stakes was known under various names until 1948 then was renamed after the Chairman of the VRC.
It was as much as a two mile race in the 1800s and as short as one mile between the wars. From 1971 onwards it was at the 2000m.
The Turnbull Stakes was a Principal Race until graded at Group 2 then is now rated a Group 1.
There was a delay to that because of the issue of Set Weights and Penalty conditions however that was overlooked from 2010 onwards.
Hartnell beat the subsequent Caulfield Cup winner Jameka by over three lengths and then himself was beaten eight lengths to Winx in the Cox Plate.
It wasn't a race for northern trained horses until recently. Via Sistina ('24), Verry Elleegant ('20), Kings Will Dream ('19), Winx ('18 & '17), Hartnell ('16), Preferment ('15), Lucia Valentina ('14) joined Studebaker ('03), Fairway ('00) & All Our Mob ('95) as the NSW trained winners in 30 years.
Kings Will Dream broke his pelvis in Winx last Cox Plate win and less than 12 months later he won the Turnbull. Chris Waller then trained the trifecta in 2020.
Feature Cups form has a very good record here, especially the Caulfield Cup. Verry Elleegant would win a classic Caulfield Cup in 2020 after winning at Flemington.
Incentivise was in the middle of a great Spring winning the Makybe Diva, Turnbull and Caulfield Cup before running into a champ in the Melbourne Cup.
Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip came from a long way back to blow the field away in 2023.
As part of an equal record 7 G1s in a racing season, Via Sistina got home by a head in 2024 before her Cox Plate rout.
The Turnbull Stakes was worth $750,000 in 2025.
Notable winners of the Turnbull Stakes include Via Sistina (2024), Gold Trip (2023), Incentivise (2021), Verry Elleegant (2020), Winx (2017/2018), Hartnell (2016), Preferment (2015), Green Moon (2012), Zipping (2010), Efficient (2009), Makybe Diva (2005), Elvstroem (2004), Northerly (2002), Sunline (2001), Doriemus (1996), Naturalism (1992), Let's Elope (1991), Better Loosen Up (1990), Super Impose (1989), Vo Rogue (1987/1988), Dulcify (1979), Leilani (1974), Galilee (1968), Tobin Bronze (1966), Aquanita (1962), Redcraze (1955), Rising Fast (1954), Comic Court (1949/1950), Bernborough (1946), Ajax (1938/1940), Hall Mark (1934), Amounis (1930), Manfred (1926), Wakeful (1903) and The Barb (1868).
The 2024 Turnbull Stakes was won by Via Sistina from Buckaroo and Eliyass.
