Manikato Stakes

The Manikato Stakes is a Moonee Valley Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 1200 metres.

It is held at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia in late October.

In 2009 the event was part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series with the winner of the Manikato Stakes automatically qualifying for a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in the United States.

From 2012, the race date was moved to Cox Plate Carnival Friday night in late October.

[1] While the race is a sprinter's race there are 4 winners who have won the prestigious W. S. Cox Plate: Time: Track record for the 1200 metres at Moonee Valley is 1:08.76 set by Hey Doc in this race in 2020.