FEATURE PREVIEWS: AUSTRALASIAN OAKS
2025 AUSTRALASIAN OAKS
TRACK: Morphettville | DISTANCE: 2000m | RAIL POSITION: True | TRACK CONDITIONS: Good 4 | PRIZE MONEY: $1,000,000
The Australian Oaks is a South Australian Group 1 horse race for three-year-old fillies. The race us run over a distance of 2000 metres and is set weights event. The race gained Group 1 status in 1983 just one year after its inception in 1982. The race is usually the first Group 1 race of the Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival but this season it will have the Group 1 Robert Sangster racing on the same day. Champion trainers Bart Cummings and Lee Freedman have won the race four times while champion hoop Damien Oliver has also won it four times in the saddle. Some key winners of the race include Mannerism (1991) Zarita (2008) Delicacy (2015) Princess Jenni (2019). Interstate trainers completely dominate this race winning all but one edition since the year 2000. In 2013 The South Australian Phillip Stokes-trained Maybe Discreet won the race for veteran Western Australia/South Australian hoop Dominic Tourneur.
PRICE ADVANTAGE HISTORY
Vibrant Sun won the race last year at $5.93, which was on parity with the competition.
Affaire A Suivre produced a tremendous result in 2023 with the $10.48 BSP a whopping 32.1% higher than best tote after commission.
Glint of Hope got up in 2022 at a nice price of $13.55, which was 7.3% higher than best tote post commission.
SPEED MAP
Expecting Too Darn Lizzy to come across from gate 10 and set a genuine rolling speed here. That should give a horse like Cinch to come across with it and potentially sit outside or just behind. Phenon, Beautiful Jewel and Sweltering are all likely to race up on speed. Favourite Benagil is exepcted to settle in the 2nd half of the field and rely on the horse up-front cutting at each-other before making a move late at them in the straight. This is could set it up for a few backmarkers at odds that include Horizons and Cavity Bay
TOP 4 SELECTIONS
14. Horizons
7. Cavity Bay
1. Too Darn Lizzie
2.Benagil
BETTING STRATEGY
Betting Strategy
BACK: 14. Horizons (WIN) for 0.5 units
Chasing some good each-way value here with Horizons. Lightly raced filly who comes through the traditional Group 3 Auraria Stakes when went back from the bad gate and looked to have something to offer in the straight before finding trouble. The jockey missed a key run then it was checked out of the race badly in the straight. Seems to be working up to this 2000m trip. Draws out again but Pannell sticks the ride and might be worth a small nibble on the each-way basis. The same could be said for Cavity Bay who has put together a couple of eye-catchers over the unsuitable 1600m and 1800m trips when best work was through the post. Finally draws an inside barrier to do no work and the step up to 2000m looks ideal. Harry Coffey is a big race rider in South Australia and the McEvoy team would love to win their home town Oaks. Bred to get the trip. Too Darn Lizzy started favourite at Moonee Valley and led and gave them something to chase down on a rolling tempo over the 1600m. Looked a sitting shot at the 100m but rallied hard late to regain 2nd place. That will toughen her up for a race like this. 1600-2000M should suit and Gai and Adrian will have her rock hard fit to try and run them into the ground. Benagil is a tractable filly won can race on speed or come from well back depending on draws and luck in running. Finished a close 2nd to star filly and one of the Country’s best horse in Treasurethe Moment in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes. That horse is one of the favourites for the Cox Plate so the form should stack up here. Proven at the trip while others are suspect. Deserves to be this short quote.
BACK: 14. Horizons (PLACE) for 0.5 units
Chasing some good each-way value here with Horizons. Lightly raced filly who comes through the traditional Group 3 Auraria Stakes when went back from the bad gate and looked to have something to offer in the straight before finding trouble. The jockey missed a key run then it was checked out of the race badly in the straight. Seems to be working up to this 2000m trip. Draws out again but Pannell sticks the ride and might be worth a small nibble on the each-way basis. The same could be said for Cavity Bay who has put together a couple of eye-catchers over the unsuitable 1600m and 1800m trips when best work was through the post. Finally draws an inside barrier to do no work and the step up to 2000m looks ideal. Harry Coffey is a big race rider in South Australia and the McEvoy team would love to win their home town Oaks. Bred to get the trip. Too Darn Lizzy started favourite at Moonee Valley and led and gave them something to chase down on a rolling tempo over the 1600m. Looked a sitting shot at the 100m but rallied hard late to regain 2nd place. That will toughen her up for a race like this. 1600-2000M should suit and Gai and Adrian will have her rock hard fit to try and run them into the ground. Benagil is a tractable filly won can race on speed or come from well back depending on draws and luck in running. Finished a close 2nd to star filly and one of the Country’s best horse in Treasurethe Moment in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes. That horse is one of the favourites for the Cox Plate so the form should stack up here. Proven at the trip while others are suspect. Deserves to be this short quote.
