VRC Oaks

VRC Oaks

Group One Betting Guide
Date: Thursday November 7, 2024
Location: Flemington Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria
Prize Money: $1,000,000
Distance: 2500m

If you’re a fan of three-year-old filly racing in Australia then look no further than the VRC Oaks.

The Oaks is run on the Thursday after the Melbourne Cup and it is traditionally the day dedicated to ladies of the race track – as the moniker of “Ladies Day” would suggest.

While many attend the Thursday without racing at the forefront of their minds, VRC Oaks Day it is a highly-respected day of racing, with the group 1 race the major highlights.

The VRC Oaks is often called the mares equivalent of the VRC Derby, which is held earlier in the spring carnival, and holds similar appeal for punters.


2024 VRC Oaks Betting Odds

Markets for the 2024 VRC Oaks are currently unavailable.


Best VRC Oaks bookmakers

The VRC Oaks is one of the most best female races on the Australian racing calendar and there’s always markets up well in advance of the race date.

The team at Horse Betting has put together comprehensive reviews of our trusted online bookmakers which all offer markets on the VRC Oaks.

The best horse racing betting sites will offer many different bet types on the VRC Oaks, with these including futures, where you can wager on a horse to make the field, finish top three or win the big event.

As the VRC Oaks draws closer, online bookmakers will up the anti surrounding betting, with options such as same race multis, trifectas, first four bets and many others available. Australian betting sites generally have got downloadable betting apps available.


Latest VRC Oaks News

Zardozi claims Group 1 VRC Oaks
Godolphin's Zardozi ($2.80) made a mess of her rivals in the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) on Thursday afternoon at ...
VRC Oaks Day 2023 Preview
A competitive nine-race card awaits punters at Flemington on Thursday for VRC Oaks Day. Check out HorseBetting's free race-by-race preview ...
2023 VRC Oaks Preview
The Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) is the headline act at Flemington on Thursday afternoon. Check out HorseBetting's free preview ...
Amazonian Lass stamps VRC Oaks claim in Wakeful Stakes victory
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott and Tim Clark have combined with Amazonian Lass to take out the Group 2 Wakeful ...
Kiwi filly ready to tackle long-term Flemington goals
Zambezi Khan was set for the Melbourne spring carnival months ago and her lead-up form will now see her take ...
Autumn Angel claims Group 3 Ethereal Stakes
Autumn Angel ($4.80) has run down Tropical Squall ($2.00) in the shadows of the post to claim the Group 3 ...

VRC Oaks history and race details

The Oaks is for fillies only and coincides with the “Fashions on the Field” which is a fashion competition held by the Victorian Racing Club.

One of the most popular days on the Australian racing calendar, the VRC Oaks day boasted a crowd of over 110,000 people in 2004 which is a record for the day.

The race changed from 2400 metres to 2500 metres in 1973 and gained Group 1 race status in 1979, where it was won by Brava Jeannie.

Because it is held so late in the Spring it is often more a case of what horses are still able to continue preparations this late into the carnival.

While it provides a great idea of a horses courage and stamina as a three year old, there have been plenty of great horses to have run unsuccessfully in a VRC Oaks and go on to experience great things in their race track careers.


Betting on the VRC Oaks

Lasqueti Spirit
Lasqueti Spirit ($151) was an aberration in a race that usually favours the favourites.

The VRC Oaks has been a favourites race in recent history with Set Square, Mosheen, Brazilian Pulse, Willowy & She’s Extreme all being well favoured in the market.

Punters are usually good at determining which horses will see out the distance so look for this when doing the form for the upcoming VRC Oaks at Flemington.

The Group 2 Wakeful Stakes is often a race which gives a good gauge of the form heading into the VRC Oaks, with it coming on the Saturday before the race.


2024 VRC Oaks Final Field

HorseBetting will update this page when the 2024 VRC Oaks final field is released.


Previous VRC Oaks Fields

Plenty of future Group 1 superstar fillies have won the VRC Oaks. Check the previous fields of the Oaks here.

  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Silks
    Tropical Squall
    Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
    Adam Hyeronimus
    3
    56kg
    2 Silks
    Zardozi
    James Cummings
    James McDonald
    6
    56kg
    3 Silks
    Amazonian Lass
    Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
    Tim Clark
    13
    56kg
    4 Silks
    Served Cold
    Danny O’Brien
    Blake Shinn
    11
    56kg
    5 Silks
    Harlow Mist
    John Sargent
    Michael Dee
    9
    56kg
    6 Silks
    Coco Sun
    Tony & Calvin McEvoy
    Damian Lane
    7
    56kg
    7 Silks
    Basilinna
    Emma-Lee & David Browne
    Damien Oliver
    2
    56kg
    8 Silks
    Aethelflaed
    Matthew Smith
    Mark Zahra
    12
    56kg
    9 Silks
    Wings Of Song
    Patrick Payne
    Billy Egan
    14
    56kg
    10 Silks
    Ethel Maude
    Pat Carey & Harris Walker
    Rhys McLeod
    10
    56kg
    11 Silks
    Peaky Ridge
    Peter Chow
    Declan Bates
    8
    56kg
    12 Silks
    Vieste
    Benjamin Smith
    Dean Yendall
    5
    56kg
    13 Silks
    Another You
    Dan O’Sullivan
    Jamie Kah
    1
    56kg
    14 Silks
    Everlasting Kiss
    Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
    Ben Melham
    4
    56kg
  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 She’s Extreme Anthony Cummings Tommy Berry 1 56kg
    2 Zennzella Ciaron Maher & David Eustace James McDonald 6 56kg
    3 Renaissance Woman Bjorn Baker Rachel King 8 56kg
    4 Pavitra Richard & Will Freedman Jamie Kah 10 56kg
    5 Foxy Cleopatra Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Blake Shinn 9 56kg
    6 Let’sbefrankbaby Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock Lachlan King 3 56kg
    7 As Time Goes By Anthony & Sam Freedman Ben Melham 5 56kg
    8 Queen Air Lindsey Smith Blaike McDougall 7 56kg
    9 Sirius Princess Trevor Andrews Dean Holland 11 56kg
    10 Makrana Mark & Levi Kavanagh Michael Dee 4 56kg
    11 Albanian Icon Paul Koumis Alana Kelly 2 56kg
  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Elusive Express Anthony & Sam Freedman Jye McNeil 8 56kg
    2 Willowy James Cummings Damien Oliver 2 56kg
    3 Daisies Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr James McDonald 6 56kg
    4 Biscayne Bay Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Hugh Bowman 3 56kg
    5 Gonnadancealot Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock Dean Yendall 4 56kg
    6 Douceur Patrick Payne Michael Dee 11 56kg
    7 Glint Of Hope Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Nash Rawiller 1 56kg
    8 Tiz My Bay Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock Luke Currie 5 56kg
    9 Blackcomb Danny O’Brien Damian Lane 10 56kg
    10 Fabiola Ken & Kasey Keys Craig Newitt 7 56kg
    11 Morrissette Simon Ryan Declan Bates 9 56kg
  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Montefilia David Payne Hugh Bowman 5 56kg
    2 Personal Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes Damien Oliver 10 56kg
    3 Cafe Rizu Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr Craig Newitt 14 56kg
    4 Succeed Indeed Leon & Troy Corstens Mark Zahra 13 56kg
    5 Salto Angel Danny O’Brien Damian Lane 9 56kg
    6 Miravalle Mark Newnham Craig Williams 6 56kg
    7 Tyche Goddess Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Kerrin McEvoy 3 56kg
    8 Biarchi David Jolly John Allen 1 56kg
    9 Star Of Eden Michael Moroney Billy Egan 2 56kg
    10 Art Glass Grahame Begg William Pike 12 56kg
    11 Vilanculos Danny O’Brien Jamie Kah 7 56kg
    12 Hard Squeeze Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock Dean Yendall 8 56kg
    13 Yatton Michael Moroney Jye McNeil 4 56kg
    14 Swindon Lass Matthew Brown Brian Higgins 11 56kg

2023 VRC Oaks result


1stZardozi (+140)
2ndAethelflaed (+110)
3rdBasilinna (+120)

Recent VRC Oaks winners

  • Zardozi ($2.80) made a mess of her rivals in the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) on Thursday afternoon at Flemington, giving the James Cummings stable two wins in the last three editions of the fillies’ staying feature. It comes after being narrowly defeated as an odds-on favourite in Saturday’s Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) by Amazonian Lass ($10.00), who was able to pinch a break on the home turn to secure victory. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained trained filly attempted similar tactics on Thursday under Tim Clark, as Amazonian Lass pinged the lids from barrier 13. The stablemate Tropical Squall ($5.50) got a lovely position in transit in behind the speed, as did Basilinna ($7.50) under Damian Oliver as he searched for an astonishing eighth VRC Oaks success. Meanwhile, James McDonald and Zardozi were happy to smoke the pipe with a mid-field sit, leaving the heavily supported Aethelflaed ($6.00) to stalk the favourite every step of the way. When the race went on and the whips were cracking, the best stayers were left to attack the line with 400m to travel, and realistically, there was only one horse you wanted to be on. Zardozi stormed clear with 200m to travel, leaving her rivals fighting out the minor money, as Aethelflaed continued gamely into a second-place finish, while it just wasn’t to be for Oliver in his final VRC Oaks, settling for a third-place finish aboard Basilinna. It was all honours to the winner in the end, as the daughter of Kingman justified the short quote, winning by a margin of 2.3 lengths.
  • Group 1 races do not often get run to script, but the way the Anthony Cummings-trained She’s Extreme claimed Oaks glory could not have been scripted any better. From barrier one, Tommy Berry had the filly stalking the speed throughout the 2500m event, she needed a gap at the top of the straight, she got it; she needed to quicken, she did that and went on to win eased-down in a deadset canter. The win handed She’s Extreme a second Group 1 success.
  • James Cummings and Damien Oliver combined for their second Group 1 success this Melbourne Cup Carnival as Willowy claimed the VRC Oaks. Having won the Wakeful Stakes on Saturday, the daughter of Kermadec became the 38th filly to complete the double in the same week, while the victory also gave Oliver his seventh win in the race. After settling midfield, Willowy had to really knuckle down to the task late to get past Douceur, who looked home at the 100m pole, but the champion hoop lifted his mount over the line to win by two-tenths of a length.
  • On the quick back up having raced in the Wakeful Stakes on the Saturday, it was the Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes-trained Personal who romped home the 2020 VRC Oaks. Having settled in the second half of the field and on the back of a perfectly-timed steer, Personal was able to hit the lead inside the final 100m to charge clear and bring up a deserved Group 1 victory, having finished in the Thousand Guineas to Ole Kirk two starts prior.
  • Despite needing to travel three-wide with cover the entire race, the Danny O’Brien-trained Miami Bound proved too class for her rivals in a dominant win in the Oaks. Having put some three-lengths on her closest rival, it was one-act affair in the 2019 Oaks, with Damien Oliver able to ease her down over the final 50m en route to his fifth win in the race.
  • All the pre-race chatter ahead of the 2018 Oaks was about Darren Weir and his trio of chances, but Wakeful Stakes winner Aristia went from Group 2 to G1 winner in the space of seven days. The filly settled beautifully in the run and got a gun ride from Damien Lane in transit. Chasing Greysful Glamour into the straight, Aristia relished having a horse to chase, taking the front in dying stages and staying on to record a famous victory for Zahra and Ellerton.
  • It was one of the last races that had eluded Gai Waterhouse over the last two decades, but Pinot turned the tables for the champion trainer in 2017. All the pre-race chatter was about gun prospect and odds-on favourite Aloisia, but when she wilted in the straight the Oaks was Pinot’s for the taking. A poor start at the gates may have ironically helped win the Oaks for Pinot, which circled the field with ease and stomped her rivals into the ground.
  • Lasqueti Spirit scored the biggest VRC Oaks upset in history when winning at odds of $151. The Lee Curtis-trained filly scored the fairytale win for its connections after one of the best rides throughout the Melbourne spring carnival. Brenton Avdulla pinched a big lead on the daughter of Beneteau and its rivals never looked nicely. Favourite Yankee Rose was beaten by over 20 lengths, but it pulled up with a problem. Read full report.
  • Jameka established itself as one of the best staying fillies in Australia after scoring a 2.25-length win. The Ciaron Maher-trained runner handled the wet conditions best in what was a heavy Flemington surface. Damien Oliver provided a peach of a ride when beating the likes of Honesta, Ambience and Pasadena Girl.
  • Set Square provided somewhat of an upset when winning in 2014. Ciaron Maher scored the first of two successive wins in the VRC Oaks when the $7.50 chance burst through to win by 1.5 lengths. The Reset filly was paying double figures when markets opened, but a big push from its punting owners saw the three-year-old start much shorter. The beaten lot didn’t amount to much, but the win was full of class.
  • John Sargent was confident with Kirramosa leading into the VRC Oaks, as were punters who took the $2.50 on offer. The three-year-old filly by Alamosa started as one of the shortest Oaks runners in recent history, but the win wasn’t as easy as expected. It held on to win by only a head over Zanbagh, which finished only a short head in front of Solicit. It was one of the better Oaks field in history which also included Arabian Gold and May’s Dream.
  • Dear Demi was another popular winner of the VRC Oaks and punters got the chocolates again. The filly by Dehere won at odds of $4.90 over the well-favoured Zydeci, which finished 1.25 lengths back. Jim Cassidy was the winning rider and his personality was a nice touch to the post-race commentary. It is considered as one of the worst VRC Oaks fields in history with the large majority of entrants offering little in their careers.

Previous VRC Oaks winners

VRC Oaks Past Winners
Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2023 Zardozi James McDonald James Cummings
2022 She’s Extreme Tommy Berry Anthony Cummings
2021 Willowy Damien Oliver James Cummings
2020 Personal Damien Oliver Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes
2019 Miami Bound Damien Oliver Danny O’Brien
2018 Aristia Damian Lane Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra
2017 Pinot Stephen Baster Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
2016 Lasqueti Spirit Brendan Avdulla Lee Curtis
2015 Jameka Damien Oliver Ciaron Maher
2014 Set Square Hugh Bowman Ciaron Maher
2013 Kirramosa Nash Rawiller John Sargent
2012 Dear Demi Jim Cassidy Clarry Conners
2011 Mosheen Danny Nikloic Robert Smeardon
2010 Brazilian Pulse Craig Williams Michael Moroney
2009 Faint Perfume Michael Rodd Bart Cummings
2008 Samantha Miss Hugh Bowman Kris Lees
2007 Arapaho Miss Corey Brown Pat Carey
2006 Miss Finland Craig Williams David Hayes
2005 Serenade Rose Steven King Lee Freedman
2004 Hollow Bullet David Taggart John McArdle
2003 Special Harmony Damien Oliver Lee Freedman
2002 Bulla Borghese Chris Munce Ron Quinton
2001 Magical Miss Steven Arnold Bart Cummings
2000 Loverlorn Brett Prebble John Hawkes

VRC Oaks Past Winners Pre 2000

VRC Oaks Past Winners Pre 2000
Year Horse
1999 Tributes
1998 Grand Archway
1997 Kensington Palace
1996 My Brightia
1995 Saleous
1994 Northwood Plume
1993 Arborea
1992 Slight Chance
1991 Richfield Lady
1990 Weekend Delight
1989 Tristanagh
1988 Research
1987 Sandy’s Pleasure
1986 Diamond Shower
1985 My Tristram’s Belle
1984 Spirit Of Kingston
1983 Taj Eclipse
1982 Rom’s Stiletto
1981 Rose Of Kingston
1980 November Rain
1979 Brava Jeannie
1978 Scomeld
1977 Show Ego
1976 Surround
1975 Denise’s Joy
1974 Leica Show
1973 Bonnybel
1972 Toltrice
1971 Kiss Me Cait
1970 Sanderae
1969 Goliette
1968 Double Steel
1967 Chosen Lady
1966 Farmer’s Daughter
1965 Gipsy Queen
1964 Light Fingers
1963 Jingle Bells
1962 Arctic Star
1961 Indian Summer
1960 Lady Sybil
1959 Mintaway
1958 Chicola
1957 Amarco
1956 Innesfell
1955 Evening Peal
1954 Lady Mogambo
1953 Waltzing Lady
1952 Waterlady
1951 Lady Havers
1950 True Course
1949 Chicquita
1948 Grey Nurse
1947 Nizam’s Ring
1946 Sweet Chime
1945 Cherie Marie
1944 Provoke
1943 Three Wheeler
1942 East End
1941 Primavera
1940 Session
1939 Triode
1938 French Gem
1937 Prairie Moon
1936 Siren
1935 Nalda
1934 Alinura
1933 Golden Hair
1932 Protea
1931 Gallantic
1930 Barbette
1929 Lineage
1928 Opera Queen
1927 Ninbela
1926 Lanson
1925 Redshank
1924 Miss Disraeli
1923 Frances Tressady
1922 Scarlet
1921 Furious
1920 Mufti
1919 Hyades
1918 Stagegirl
1917 Folly Queen
1916 Thana
1915 Rosanna
1914 Carlita
1913 Mint Sauce
1912 Moe
1911 Wilari
1910 Styria
1909 Lady San
1908 Nushka
1907 Lady Rylstone
1906 Yabba Gabba
1905 Lady Wallace
1904 Red Streak
1903 Sweet Nell
1902 Fishery
1901 Beanba
1900 Haulette
1899 Nitre
1898 Symmetry
1897 Eleusive
1896 Thunder Queen
1895 Auraria
1894 Regina
1893 The Dauphine
1892 Etra Weenie
1891 Tiraillerie
1890 Litigant
1889 Spice
1888 Pearlshell
1887 Dainty
1886 The Nun
1885 Uralla
1884 Venetia
1883 Quality
1882 Vaucluse
1881 Royal Maid
1880 Sapphire
1879 Petrea
1878 Melita
1877 Pardon
1876 Briseis
1875 Maid Of All Work
1874 Gaslight
1873 Rose D’amour
1872 Sunshine
1871 Formosa
1870 Florence
1869 Kestrel
1868 My Dream
1867 Sylvia
1866 Sea Gull
1865 Lady Heron
1864 Illumination
1863 Aruma
1862 Modesty
1861 Palestine
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