The Group 1 Toorak Handicap is a 1600m handicap race with an esteemed history. The race attracts the nation's top milers and history has shown the race is more of a race for sprinters that can reach the 1600 metre distance rather than the staying types.

Dual winners include SAXONY (1948, 49), DESERT BREEZE (1952, 53), NICOPOLIS (1963, 64) and UMRUM (1999, 2000).

Notable winners include UNCLE SAM (1912); THE TRUMP (1937); ROYAL GEM (1946): TOBIN BRONZE (1967); GUNSYND (1971): LEILANI (1974): MORE JOYOUS (2010); KING MUFHASA (2011).

HIGHLAND (1929) dual winner of the Stradbroke Hep (1925,26) and the Underwood Stakes (1928,29), and won the the Cantala Stakes and Cox Plate (1928)

COUNSEL (1943) won when the race was run in two divisions, and also won the Futurity Stakes, Caulfield Cup and Mackinnon Stakes (1944)

TAUTO (1970) won the Cox Plate (1971).

ALL SHOT (1972) twice won the Linlithgow Stakes (1972,73) and William Reid Stakes (1973,74) and won the Cantala Stakes (1972), George Main Stakes, George Ryder Stakes (1973) and CF Orr Stakes (1974); and PLUSH (1975) won the Ascot Vale Stakes, Moonee Valley Stakes (1974), & CF Orr Stakes (1976).