Australian Oaks 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: Favourites have a strong recent record in the Australian Oaks so backing the top fancy in betting is a good bet

The Australian Oaks is one of four exciting Group 1 races held at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Day 2 of The Championships during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

Run on the second Saturday of April* the 2400m race is open to three-year-old fillies and is held at the same meeting as the autumn’s richest race, the Group 1 $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

*In 2021 the Australian Oaks ran on the third Saturday of April with all race meetings of the autumn in Sydney from Slipper Day onwards postponed a week due to the weather.

The other Group 1 races on the card that day are the Sydney Cup and Queen Of The Turf Stakes – also known as The Coolmore Legacy Stakes. The Australian Oaks, or ATC Oaks, is a set weights event with all the fillies in the field carrying 56kg. Offering $1 million in total prize money the Australian Oaks winner takes out $600,000 for connections.

For 2020 the Australian Oaks prizemoney was reduced to $500,000 with $287,000 going to the winner due to the Coronavirus outbreak, before being boosted back to $1 million in 2021.

Winners of the Adrian Knox Stakes and Vinery Stud Stakes are exempt from Australian Oaks ballot and these two races are the key lead-ups to the Group 1 over the mile and a half.

Colette (2020) was the last filly to complete the Adrian Knox Stakes – ATC Australian Oaks double joining the likes of Royal Descent (2013), Serenade Rose (2006), Rena’s Lady (2007) and Heavenly Glow (2008) who also took out both races in recent years.

The latest edition of the Australian Oaks took place on Saturday April 17, 2021 and was won by the Chris Waller-trained Vinery champion Hungry Heart.  

Australian Oaks Race Info

• Date: Saturday April 17, 2021
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 2400m
• Conditions: 3YO Fillies – Set Weights
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $1 million
• First Run: 1885

2021 Australian Oaks Results

The Australian Oaks 2021 results and finishing order will be known on Saturday April 17, 2021 and confirmed below once announced.

• 1st: #3 Hungry Heart
• 2nd: #6 Duais
• 3rd: #7 Bargain

The Chris Waller-trained Frankel filly Hungry Heart emulated her star stablemate Verry Elleegant (2019) becoming the latest to do the Vinery Stud Stakes – ATC Oaks double with a strong win in the latter thanks to a gun ride by Kerrin McEvoy. 

Australian Oaks Odds & Betting

One of the popular fillies’ betting doubles of the autumn is the Adrian Knox Stakes – Australian Oaks double with the former the key lead-up race influencing markets for the Group 1 a week later, most recently achieved by Colette (2020). 

Australian Oaks betting favours fillies coming out of the Adrian Knox as well as the Vinery Stud Stakes held over 2000m at Sydney’s other premier track – Rosehill – two weeks earlier.

From 2006 – 2021 six Australian Oaks favourites saluted for the punters including four on the trot with: Bonneval ($4.20 in 2017), Unforgotten ($4 in 2018), Verry Elleegant ($2 in 2019) and Colette ($3 in 2020).

Looking for fillies coming off good form with a good barrier in the Australian Oaks odds is also important as just three winners since 2002 jumped from a double digit gate when Daffodil overcame barrier 11 of 18 to win in 2009, Sofia Rosa got the job done from 11 of 14 in 2016 and $2 fancy Verry Elleegant won from 11 of 14 in 2019.

2021 Australian Oaks Betting

The Australian Oaks 2021 betting odds on the Group 1 autumn feature for three-year-old fillies will be available below as soon as released so stay tuned.

Australian Oaks Field

Streama (2012) was the last favourite in Australian Oaks betting to salute for the punters in the autumn classic for fillies. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

The largest Australian Oaks field in the past 30 years was 18 starters in 2009 when Daffodil scored an upset win as a 12/1 chance in betting.

The race run with just eight starters in both 2007 and 2012 when Rena’s Lady and Streama won respectively.

Featuring the season’s best staying three-year-old fillies the Australian Oaks field is primarily made-up of horses coming out of the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) run the previous Saturday on Doncaster Mile Day.

The Adrian Knox Stakes has produced nine Australian Oaks winners in the past 20 years.  Australian Oaks nominations close on a Monday in early February before first acceptances are taken a month later.

The official Australian Oaks field of final acceptors and barrier draw is then out on the Tuesday before the race, while connections have until the same day to pay the $22,000 late entry fee.

2021 Australian Oaks Field

The Australian Oaks 2021 field and barrier draw will be announced the Tuesday leading-up to Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ with the full list of young staying fillies listed below.

The 2021 Australian Oaks field features 10 young staying fillies including the beaten ATC Derby favourite last weekend Montefilia (4th), Chris Waller’s Vinery Stud Stakes winner Hungry Heart and the NZ Oaks champion Amarelinha. 

2021 Australian Oaks Nominations

The Australian Oaks 2021 nominations closed on Tuesday the 9th of February, 2021 attracting 105 three-year-old fillies led in betting by the Flight Stakes – Spring Champion Stakes double winner Montefilia and the VRC Oaks champ Personal. 

2021 Australian Oaks First Acceptances

The Australian Oaks first acceptances are taken about a month out from the race following on from the early nominations in February. 

The 2021 Australian Oaks first acceptances closed at midday on Tuesday the 9th of March, 2021 leaving 47 fillies in the mix led in updated betting by Jamie Richards’ flying NZ Oaks winner Amarelinha. 

Australian Oaks Tips

Australian Oaks tips favour young fillies with proven form over at least 2000m showing the potential to run out a strong mile and a half. Tipping Australian Oaks runners on the short back-up out of the Adrian Knox Stakes is always popular and the Adrian Knox – ATC Oaks is common betting double.

Another key lead-up race to consider when doing the Australian Oaks tips is the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on Golden Slipper Day a fortnight before. Six Australian Oaks winners from 2010 – 2021 had their final lead-up in the Vinery Stud Stakes including Rising Romance (4th) in 2014, Unforgotten (2nd) in 2018 who defeated that year’s winner Hiyaam in a reverse of the quinella, Verry Elleegant who did the double in 2019 and Hungry Heart (2021) who also won both races for trainer Chris Waller. 

2021 Australian Oaks Tips

Our insider Ladbrokes’ Australian Oaks 2021 betting tips will be detailed below the week of the race so you know what fillies to back and sack in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day Group 1 this autumn.

• To Win: #3 Hungry Heart ($5 at time of publish) 

Such an open edition of the Oaks and, as the market suggests, a case can be made for nearly every filly in the field. Going to stick with the Sydney form and the in-form filly Hungry Heart who has all the momentum and confidence after doing the Phar Lap – Vinery Stud Stakes double. She’s defeated quite a few of these and Waller did the Vinery – Oaks double in 2019 with Verry Elleegant. No doubt this daughter of Frankel needs to go to another level over the 2400m having only just one last time out, but if she stays the distance she can win. 

Australian Oaks Form Guide

The Australian Oaks form guide provides punters with all the key information including saddlecloth numbers, jockeys, trainers, lead-up races and barriers.

The last Australian Oaks winner to run worse than fifth in her final lead-up run was Sunday Joy who improved on a 12th against the boys in the Australian Derby to win the fillies’ equivalent in 2003.

Since 1992 just four Australian Oaks winning fillies came off a run outside of Sydney with New Zealand raider Daffodil (2009), that year’s Schweppes Oaks runner-up in Adelaide Absolutely (2011), another Kiwi Sofia Rosa (2016) who ran second in the NZ Oaks back home and most recently Bonneval (2017) who did the NZ Oaks – ATC Oaks double.

Gai Waterhouse has trained three Australian Oaks winners since 2000 including Once Were Wild (2010). The most successful Australian Oaks barrier draw producing six winners since 1983 is gate five followed by the inside alley with five winners out of barrier one in that time despite the distance of the race.

Australian Oaks Form Facts

• Favourites in Australian Oaks betting have won four times in recent years with Bonneval (2017), Unforgotten (2018), Verry Elleegant (2019) and Colette (2020)
• Roughies in Australian Oaks odds also have had a number of recent wins including Gust Of Wind ($17 in 2015), Absolutely ($31 in 2011) and Rena’s Lady ($21 in 2007)
• The Adrian Knox Stakes is the key Australian Oaks form line to follow into the Group 1 race
• Fillies that ran outside the top four in their lead-up run are ones to avoid when doing the Australian Oaks form
• Sunday Joy (12th in 2003) was the last Australian Oaks winning filly to come off a Australian Derby run against the boys
• The Australian Derby – Oaks double was last achieved by Research (1989)

2021 ATC Oaks Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive ATC Australian Oaks 2021 Form Guide will be made available below the week of the race.

Australian Oaks Results

Upset Australian Oaks results are not uncommon with the favourites having only a fair record in the classic. The longest priced winners over the past decade are Rena’s Lady ($21 in 2007), Absolutely ($31 in 2011) and Gust Of Wind ($17 in 2015).

Notable recent Australian Oaks winners include Hungry Heart (2021), Verry Elleegant (2019), Unforgotten (2018), Rising Romance (2014), Royal Descent (2013), Streama (2012) and Serenade Rose (2006).

Australian Oaks Winners