Flemington - 2024 wrapped

2220 horses competed in 194 races run over 21 race days at Flemington, including 14 Group 1 races, 12 Group 2s, 18 Group 3s and 30 Listed races.

MOST WINS FOR THE YEAR – HORSE

The horse who won more races than any other was straight-track specialist Right To Party. The grey had only won one of her nine career starts, a two-year-old maiden at Doomben, before recording her first win at Flemington.

The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained mare had seven starts in total for the year, the last six of them at Flemington, where she won four times.

The daughter of Zoustar graduated from an 1100m 3YO handicap win in June to claim the Listed Creswick Stakes Final (1200m) in July, the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) in August before a Group 2 win in October’s Gilgai Stakes (1200m).

She failed by just a just a short-head in her quest for a maiden Group 1 win when second to Sunshine In Paris in the Darley Champions Sprint on TAB Champions Stakes Day.

The two multiple Group 1 winners at Flemington for the year were also in action on Champions Day with Via Sistina completing the Turnbull Stakes/Champions Stakes double and Mr Brightside winning the VRC Champions Mile having won the Crown Makybe Diva Stakes earlier in the year.

TOP-RATING WINS FOR THE YEAR

Via Sistina and Mr Brightside were not surprisingly responsible for some of the highest-rating wins of 2024, as adjudged by the Racing And Sports rating scale.

MOST WINS FOR THE YEAR – JOCKEY

Thirty-seven individual jockeys experienced the thrill of riding a winner at Australia’s most famous racecourse in 2024 and no rider won more than Damian Lane.

Last season’s Victorian Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premiership winner rode 18 winners for the year at Flemington, taking his career Flemington tally to 138 wins, which is the second-most by any active jockey behind Craig Williams (323).

Lane added two Group 1s to his career at Flemington; the TAB Turnbull Stakes aboard Via Sistina and Crown Oaks with Treasurethe Moment.

MOST WINS FOR THE YEAR – TRAINER(S)

Ciaron Maher might have won most of the trainers’ premierships on offer last season, and sits atop the table in most of this season’s, but he had to take a back seat to Lindsay Park in the race for most Flemington wins in 2024.

Of the 61 stables that won at least one race at Flemington for the year, the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-led operation was the most successful with 20, including Group 1 wins in the Crown Makybe Diva Stakes and VRC Champions Mile by Mr Brightside.

The Victorians were upstaged by a couple of Sydneysiders when it came to the most successful trainer/jockey partnerships for the year, however.

No team won more races together than Chris Waller and James McDonald, who combined for six wins, all at Group level during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Among them were Group 1 wins aboard Via Sistina (TAB Champions Stakes), Switzerland (Coolmore Stud Stakes) and Atishu (TAB Empire Rose Stakes).

FASTEST TIME FOR EACH DISTANCE