Instituted in 1869 as the Melbourne Stakes, the race name was changed to the Mackinnon stakes in 1936 to honour the former Chairman of the VRC.

In 2016 the race was again renamed, now known as the Group 1 Emirates Stakes.

(The race formerly known as Emirates Stakes over 1600 metres, has also been renamed.)

Formerly a lead up race to the Melbourne Cup but from 2016 is now being run on the last day of the Melbourne Cup carnival, the race sees the true champion middle-distance horses from Australia and abroad tackle the 2000m at weight-for-age conditions

Two horses — both of them legendary fillies — have won the race three times: WAKEFUL (1901-03) and TRANQUIL STAR (1942, 44, 45). who won 23 races including the St George Stakes three times (1941, 44, 45), Chipping Norton Stakes (1941), Caulfield Cup (1942) and two Cox Plates (1942, 44).

Dual winners include DAGWORTH (1873, 74), BATTALION (1897, 98), CETIGNE (1917, 19), EURYTHMIC (1920, 21). PHAR LAP (1930, 31). PETER PAN (1933, 34). BEAU VITE (1954, 55). COMIC COURT (1949, 50). RISING FAST (1954, 55) and BELMURA LAD (1980, 81).

Many winners have also taken out the Melbourne Cup including GLENCOE (1869). TIM WHIF- FLER (1870). CHESTER (1878). MALUA (1884). CARBINE (1890). POSEIDON (1907). THE TRUMP (1937). DELTA (1951), DALRAY (1952), RAIN LOVER (1968). GOLD AND BLACK(1976). ATTALAQ (1986). EMPIRE ROSE(1988). LET’S ELOPE (1991) and ROGAN JOSH(1999).

Other notable winners include ROBINSON CRUSOE(1877), so named because he was one of only two horses to survive a storm that claimed the fives of nine horses, including Cup favourite Robin Hood, when aboard the ship City of Melbourne. The ATC Australian Derby winner would go on to sire TRENTON (1885), who in turn was sire of Wakeful.

MANFRED (1926) won the Victoria Derby, ATC Australian Derby, Cox Plate (1925) and Caulfield Cup (1926); ROGILLA (1933) won 26 races including the Caulfield Cup (1932), Sydney Cup and Cox Plate (1933); FAMILY OF MAN (1978) won theWATC Australian Derby (1976), Cox Plate (1977),William Reid Stakes, Cantala Stakes (1978) and was a dual winner of the Kingston Town Classic (1976,78).

PARIS LANE (1994) won the Caulfield Cup (1994); SIRMIONE (2007) won the Australian Cup (2008).

Other greats to win include GLOAMING (1924), GOTHIC (1928). AJAX (1938). FLIGHT (1946), HYDROGEN (1953). SAILOR’S GUIDE (1957). TULLOCH (1960). SKY HIGH (1961), AQUANITA (1962), TOBIN BRONZE (1967), LEILANI (1974), DULCIFY (1979). RUBITON (1987). HORLICKS (1989). BETTER LOOSEN UP (1990). VEANDERCROSS (1992). LONHRO(2002). GRAND ARMEE (2004). DESERT WAR (2006) and SO YOU THINK (2010).

The 2015 winner was French trained galloper Gailo Chop, who became the second international winner of the Mackinnon after England’s Side Glance in 2013