Oakleigh Plate

The Oakleigh Plate is a Group 1 horse race run over 1100m at Caulfield with a total purse of $750,000.

The popular sprint race generally features some of the best sprinters in Australia. The list of past winners features some huge names, including Fastnet Rock (2005) and Eagle Falls (2011).

The race is the middle peg of the Melbourne Autumn Carnival sprinting series, which also features the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes and the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap.

Race under handicap conditions, the Oakleigh Plate has only ever had five winners who have carried more than 55.5kg over the journey.

2023 Oakleigh Plate betting odds

The 2023 Oakleigh Plate odds are currently unavailable. Horsebetting.com.au will update this page as they come out.

Best Oakleigh Plate bookmakers

Australian punters have plenty of options for betting on horse racing, with all the major online bookmakers offering odds on every metro and TAB regional meeting across the country.

The Autumn Carnival is exceptionally popular with horse racing fans, so there is generally a good spread of available bookie bonuses and other promotions surrounding events like the Oakleigh Plate.

Sport Table

Oakleigh Plate form

Surprisingly, the winner of the Lightning Stakes (1000m) is yet to race in and win the Oakleigh Plate. In fact, only two horses — Starspangledbanner and Swiss Ace — have won the Lightning and raced the following week, with neither having any success.

One possible indicator is that fresh horses have a very good record in the race, with six of the last 12 winners being first up. Three of the other six were second up, which indicates that horses at the tail end of a campaign will not fare as well as fresh horses.

2022 Oakleigh Plate result

Recent runnings of the Oakleigh Plate

• 2022: Marabi runs her rivals into the ground
  The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Marabi ran her rivals into the ground in the 2022 Oakleigh Plate. Having settled outside race leader Malkovich and going along at rapid sectionals, Marabi showed her class when sprinting clear in the Group 1. Despite the official margin being just a half-length back to Away Game in second, the win felt a lot more comfortable for the mare who took her career record to seven wins from as many starts. Alongside a miaden Group 1 success for Marabi, it was also a first win at the highest level for jockey Ben Allen who had partnered Marabi in all but one of her previous six career starts.
• 2021: The Judge Can Not Split Portland Sky & Celebrity Queen
  As always the Oakleigh Plate was run at a breakneck speed, and when Portland Sky and Celebrity Queen paired off in the shadows of the winning post the judge couldn’t split them. When returning to the mounting yard young Teo Nugent was still unsure whether he had rode his first Group 1 winner or not, whereas William Pike was as cool as a cucumber after his ride on Celbrity Queen. After a five minute wait the judge could not split the pair and the spoils were shared.
• 2020: Pippie gets her Group 1 glory
  Pippie was far too speedy for her rivals in the 2020 Oakleigh Plate with the 52kgs and an all the way victory proving the right formula. Linda Meech knew that if she got to the front on the mare she’d be hard to run down and despite the official margin back to Zoutori only being half a length, it was much more comfortable of a victory than what that portrays.
• 2019: Booker powers home to claim the Oakleigh Plate
  The pre-race chatter was about Nature Strip heading into 2019 but the star sprinter’s race was run at the 200m mark, allowing the off-pacers to lay their claims. Booker was running in the middle of the pack but produced a powerful run the final 100m to win, holding off the fast-finishing Encryption and the brave Eduardo.
• 2018: Perfectly timed run by the Russian
  Russian Revolution was the easing favourite coming into the Oakleigh Plate but those who followed the Snowden runner into the Plate were not disappointed. The horse looked to be traveling smoothly coming up to the turn but when Snitty Kitty threatened to run away with the race and Mark Zahra had to push the button. Eventually Russian Revolution wore down the Kitty and won by half a length.
• 2017: All the way for Sheidel
  Sheidel was well-backed in the lead-up for the 2017 Oakleigh Plate and the punters got it right on the money. The Lindsay Park-trained mare went forward from the barrier and led them a merry chase. Faatinah tried to close the gap in the straight with race favourite Extreme Choice closing in from well back, but Sheidel had too much in hand in scoring a one-length victory. Read the report here.
• 2016: Moody floors the Bookies
  Flamberge defied the bookmakers to record a famous victory for Peter Moody and Damien Lane. Jumping at $31 from barrier 15, Flamberge sat in fourth place for much of the run before accelerating to the lead in the straight. It was challenged hard by Fell Swoop ($14) but held on to win by a half head, with Heatherly, the $3.70 favourite, holding on for third after leading the field for much of the race.
• 2015: Shamal Wind blows them away
  It was a famous 1-2 for Aquanita and Robert Smerdon Shamal Wind beating home Under The Louvre. Shamal Wind looked to be out of the race sitting fourth last but a blistering final 400m helped the $10 shot beat home stablemate Under The Louvre ($17) while Fast ’N’ Rocking ($18) was a nose third.
• 2014: Froggy gets the Rupee
  Craig Newitt steered Lankan Rupee to a sensational victory which was largely because of a withering run on the straight. Sitting pretty behind leaders Kuroshio and Minaj, Lankan Rupee got the perfect run before powering away at the 400m mark. Spirit of Boom ran home well but was over a length second. Knoydart ($5) ran on well to claim third. Spirit Of Boom jumped at $18 while Lankan Rupee had eased out to $4 on the track.
• 2013: Mrs Onassis proves to quick for her rivals
  Mrs Onassis ($16) was too good with jockey Kerrin McEvoy expertly setting up the win after jumping from barrier 12. He immediately crossed with the Gerry Harvey-owned horse to sit outside the leader Adebisi. Despite doing much of the heavy lifting throughout the race, Mrs Onassis beat home Facile Tigre ($15), while Spirit Of Boom ($11) ran on nicely to finish third.
• 2012: Woorim storms home to claim the Oakleigh Plate
  Woorim, trained by Robert Heathcote, came from the clouds to win the 2012 running of the Oakleigh Plate. The $21 shot, trained by Robert Heathcote, defeated the John O’Shea-trained Elite Falls ($51) and Facile Tigre, who was well back in third.

Past winners of the Oakleigh Plate

Winners of the Oakleigh Plate Pre 2000

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