Ladbrokes Tip: The Moonee Valley Vase is a gun lead-up for VRC Derby hopefuls
The latest edition of the Moonee Valley Vase ran on Saturday October 25, 2025 as part of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day card for VRC Derby-bound three-year-olds and saw the odds-on Ciaron Maher trained favourite Observer ($1.75F) dominate from barrier to box in a bold front-running performance.
2025 Moonee Valley Vase Results
The official Moonee Valley Vase 2025 Results & Finishing Order will be published below once the race is run and won on Saturday October 25, 2025.
- 1st: No. 1 Observer
- 2nd: No. 5 Providence
- 3rd: No. 6 O’Sheamus
Ciaron Maher’s progressive colt Observer ($1.75F) was far too strong for his rivals saluting as the odds-on favourite in the 2025 Moonee Valley Vase results on Cox Plate Day. Improving on his lead-up third in the Caulfield Guineas, he was given a bold front-running ride by Mark Zahra to lead the field by a big margin and give a great kick around the home bend holding on to beat the fast-finishing Providence by a half-length and firm into the odds-on favourite for a quick back-up into the VRC Derby field on November 1.
2025 Moonee Valley Vase Odds
The latest Moonee Valley Vase 2025 betting odds and links to our markets will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned for the best Moonee Valley Vase Group 2 Cox Plate Day prices.
| 1. Observer (6) J: Mark Zahra 57kg 15x23T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 5. Providence (9) J: James McDonald 57kg x6038T: Chris Waller | ||
| 6. O'sheamus (1) J: Damian Lane 57kg 4x461T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton | ||
| 12. One Step Closer (2) J: Zac Lloyd 57kg 7x510T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton | ||
| 3. Options (8) J: Harry Coffey 57kg 1131T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy | ||
| 7. Kakkoii (7) J: Hugh Bowman 57kg 3x510T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | ||
| 11. Crack A Deel (4) J: John Allen 57kg 30x61T: Henry Dwyer | ||
| 14. Poor Ol' Johny Ray (5) J: Ben Allen 57kg 56479T: Denis Pagan | ||
| 9. Crown Of Russia (3) J: Craig Williams 57kg 5157T: Danny O'Brien |
Moonee Valley Vase Tips
Moonee Valley Vase tips come out the week of the race and are dominated by three-year-old graduates coming out of the Caulfield Guineas. Held two weeks before the Vase over the mile, the Caulfield Guineas is the best lead-up to the Moonee Valley Vase and runners that finished in the money in the Group 1 are a great tip to take in the Group 2 a fortnight later.
Other good Moonee Valley Vase tips to take include backing any runners that have previous form over further than a mile, runners that have winning form at the track and those under $10 in betting.
Odds-on favourites also have a gun record in the race so taking the shortie has proved a successful MV Vase betting tip over the past two decades. Cherry Tortoni ($2.60 in 2020) saluted for the punters in the Moonee Valley Vase before a fourth to Vase third placegetter Johnny Get Angry in the VRC Derby results.
Observer ($1.75 in 2025) was the last odds-on Moonee Valley Vase favourite to win.
2025 Moonee Valley Vase Tips
Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive Moonee Valley Vase 2025 Tips and exotic Moonee Valley Vase betting selections will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the three-year-old stayers to get behind for the win this spring.
To Win: No. 1 Observer
The Vase favourite and for good reason, OBSERVER looks ready to strike as he continues to build momentum this prep. The Ciaron Maher-trained colt is starting to deliver on his blueblood pedigree, and his last-start third in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas was full of merit. Sent out at a price, he copped a horror run in transit — held up at a crucial stage while Autumn Boy sliced through to win — yet still managed to finish just 2.5 lengths off them. By Ghaiyyath, a world-class stayer, the step up to 2040m looks tailor-made, and with Mark Zahra taking the reins, he maps to land in a prime spot on speed. With a cleaner run this time, he’s the one they’ll all be chasing and looms as a serious Derby player. Hard to knock.
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1. Observer (6)
J: Mark Zahra 57kg
15×23T: Ciaron Maher
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The Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase is a key support race on the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day card at Moonee Valley Racecourse on a Saturday in late October during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. The meeting is highlighted by the Group 1 $6 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) but also features four Group 2 events.
Along with this Group 2 the other majors on the program are the Group 2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic (1600m), Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) and Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m). Contested over the same distance as the Cox Plate, 2040m, the race currently offers $400,000 in prize money and is a set weights race open to three-year-olds only.
It makes a nice lead-up to Flemington’s Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) held the following Saturday to kick off the Melbourne Cup Carnival, and the double has recently been achieved by Efficient (2006), Plastered (2004) and Helenus (2002).
The Moonee Valley Vase form was also franked in 2019 with the winner Soul Patch going on to run third in that year’s VRC Derby trifecta, while in 2020 Johnny Get Angry won the Victoria Derby on the back of a third in the Vase.
The 2023 Moonee Valley Vase winner Apulia was brave when going down narrowly to Riff Rocket in the VRC Derby exacta that season.
Moonee Valley Vase Race Info
- Date: Saturday October 25, 2025
- Track: Moonee Valley
- Distance: 2040m
- Conditions: 3YOs – Set Weights
- Status: Group 2
- Prize Money: $400,000
- First Run: 1981
Moonee Valley Vase Betting
Moonee Valley Vase odds are dominated each year by the colts and geldings, who have a far superior record over the fillies in the race, that come off a run in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) two weeks before.
The Caulfield Guineas has produced more Moonee Valley Vase winners than any other race so top three runners in the Group 1 sit high up the Moonee Valley Vase betting markets each spring.
Six recently Moonee Valley Vase winners have come via a run in the Caulfield Guineas, most recently Berkeley Square (4th in 2022) and Observer (3rd in 2025).
Runners under double figures in the Moonee Valley Vase betting odds have an outstanding recent record in the race with no horse saluting at double figures in over 20 years until the upset 2018 win by Stars Of Carrum ($31) who went on to run second the VRC Derby results next run.
Cherry Tortoni ($2.60 in 2020), Forgot You ($2 in 2021), Berkeley Square ($2.60 in 2022), Red Aces ($3.20 in 2024) and Observer ($1.75 in 2025) are the latest favourites in Moonee Valley Vase betting to win.
Moonee Valley Vase Field
The Moonee Valley Vase race field attracts a quality line-up of three-year-old staying types each spring, some looking to back-up on the short turnaround into the Victoria Derby over more distance the next Saturday.
The race is open to both the colts and geldings as well as the fillies and in 2015 Jameka backed-up off a Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) second at Caulfield a fortnight before to beat home the boys in the Moonee Valley Vase. She also won the Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) – VRC Oaks – during the Cup Carnival next start and the following year’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m). In 2017 Aloisia was dominant beating home the boys in the Moonee Valley Vase field by over three lengths after her lead-up Thousand Guineas success.
The last horse to win the Caulfield Guineas – Moonee Valley Vase double was Whobegotyou (2008) who ran second in that year’s Victoria Derby.
A previous lead-up was Sydney’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick, which last produced a winner of the Group 2 in 2020 with Cherry Tortoni (8th), before that race moved to run on the same day as the Moonee Valley Vase in Sydney.
Recent Moonee Valley Vase winners to finish top three in the VRC Derby next start include Stars Of Carrum (2nd in 2018), while in 2010 the Vase runner-up Lion Tamer won the Derby next start.
The Moonee Valley Vase nominations close the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday and the final field and barriers are out on the Wednesday.
2025 Moonee Valley Vase Field
The official Moonee Valley Vase 2025 Final Field & Barriers are announced the Wednesday before Cox Plate Day and will be published in full below so stay tuned to see what VRC Derby-bound three-year-olds make the starting line-up.
The 2025 Moonee Valley Vase final field features a smart line-up of potential Derby hopes including Tony & Calvin McEvoy’s last start Listed Super Impose winner Options drawn wide in gate 12 and the Ciaron Maher trained Observer coming off a Group1 Caulfield Guineas third.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Observer
J: Mark Zahra
T: Ciaron Maher |
215x23 | C | 6 | 57kg | |
| 2. Highvol (1) Scratched: | |||||
|
3. Options
J: Harry Coffey
T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy |
1131 | C | 8 | 57kg | |
| 4. Arcora (6) Scratched: | |||||
|
5. Providence
J: James McDonald
T: Chris Waller |
4x6038 | C | 9 | 57kg | |
|
6. O'sheamus
J: Damian Lane
T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton |
4x461 | G | 1 | 57kg | |
|
7. Kakkoii
J: Hugh Bowman
T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
3x510 | C | 7 | 57kg | |
| 8. Matsuda (13) Scratched: | |||||
|
9. Crown Of Russia
J: Craig Williams
T: Danny O'Brien |
5157 | C | 3 | 57kg | |
| 10. Zorb (5) Scratched: | |||||
|
11. Crack A Deel
J: John Allen
T: Henry Dwyer |
x30x61 | C | 4 | 57kg | |
|
12. One Step Closer
J: Zac Lloyd
T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton |
47x510 | G | 2 | 57kg | |
| 13. Savisanta (10) Scratched: | |||||
|
14. Poor Ol' Johny Ray
J: Ben Allen
T: Denis Pagan |
56479 | G | 5 | 57kg | |
2025 Moonee Valley Vase Nominations
The early Moonee Valley Vase 2025 entries close the Monday of race week.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20×23100 | ARCORA | C | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 69 |
| 2 | 7x30x61 | CRACK A DEEL | C | 3 | Henry Dwyer | 62 |
| 3 | 5157 | CROWN OF RUSSIA | C | 3 | Danny O’Brien | 62 |
| 4 | 2×520 | FREDDIE BASSETT | C | 3 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 61 |
| 5 | 11×7640 | HIGHVOL | G | 3 | Nick Ryan | 73 |
| 6 | 3×510 | KAKKOII | C | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 63 |
| 7 | 2481 | MATSUDA | G | 3 | Ciaron Maher | 63 |
| 8 | 66×44122 | MIEWA | G | 3 | Nick Ryan | |
| 9 | 215×23 | OBSERVER | C | 3 | Ciaron Maher | 92 |
| 10 | 47×510 | ONE STEP CLOSER | G | 3 | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | 61 |
| 11 | 1131 | OPTIONS | C | 3 | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | 78 |
| 12 | 4×461 | O’SHEAMUS | G | 3 | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | 64 |
| 13 | 56479 | POOR OL’ JOHNY RAY (NZ) | G | 3 | Denis Pagan | 61 |
| 14 | 344×6038 | PROVIDENCE | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 68 |
| 15 | 222 | SAVISANTA (NZ) | G | 3 | Chris Waller | 60 |
| 16 | 6x3976x168 | SIRIUSLY HOT | G | 3 | Ciaron Maher | 65 |
| 17 | 5×3100 | SUPER PARADISE | G | 3 | Andrew Forsman | 61 |
| 18 | 0x87 | VALUED (NZ) | G | 3 | Dominic Sutton | 56 |
| 19 | 35×741 | ZORB | C | 3 | Archie Alexander | 61 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Moonee Valley Vase Form Guide
The Moonee Valley Vase form guide gives you all the information and statistics you need to place a well-informed wager on the race like the jockeys, trainers, barriers, track / distance records and lead-up runs of the horses in the field.
The Moonee Valley Vase form has stacked up in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) a week later many times over the past 20 years or so providing plenty of winners and placegetters in the Cup Carnival classic.
The Moonee Valley Vase form from the 2021 race was franked with the winner Forgot You returning the next autumn to run third in Sydney’s Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m). The Vase third placegetter from 2021, Jungle Magnate, meanwhile came back the following autumn and took out the the 2022 Group 1 South Australian Derby.
The Moonee Valley Vase placegetters from 2022 franked the form in the autumn of 2023 with the runner-up Virtuous Circle going on to finish second in the Australian Derby results, while third place-getter Pericles was second in the Rosehill Guineas.
2025 Moonee Valley Vase Form Guide
A link to our insider Moonee Valley Vase 2025 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.
Moonee Valley Vase Results
Moonee Valley Vase race results have been dominated by odds-on favourites and runners under $10 over the past 20 years.
Notable recent winners include Cherry Tortoni (2020), Jameka (2015), Super Cool (2012), Manawanui (2011), Whobegotyou (2008), Efficient (2006), and Helenus (2002).
Aloisia (2017) was the last Moonee Valley Vase winning filly.
Blevic holds the current 2040m Moonee Valley Vase race record winning in 1994 in a time of 2 minutes 02:80 seconds.
Past Moonee Valley Vase Winners
Recent Moonee Valley Vase winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | 2nd | 3rd | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Observer | Providence | O’Sheamus | 2:07.78 |
| 2024 | Red Aces | Opening Address | King Of Thunder | 2:07.36 |
| 2023 | Apulia | Verdad | Air Assault | 2:04.36 |
| 2022 | Berkeley Square | Virtuous Circle | Pericles | 2:10.3 |
| 2021 | Forgot You | Commander Harry | Jungle Magnate | 2:09.0 |
| 2020 | Cherry Tortoni | Khoekhoe | Johnny Get Angry | 2:10.3 |
| 2019 | Soul Patch | Moonlight Maid | Serious Liaison | 2:06.6 |
| 2018 | Stars of Carrum | Savoie | Aramayo | 2:05.2 |
| 2017 | Aloisia | Cliff’s Edge | Salsamor | 2:04.2 |
| 2016 | Sacred Elixir | Morvada | So Si Bon | 2:10.9 |
| 2015 | Jameka | Shards | Tarzino | 2:06.0 |
| 2014 | Moonovermanhattan | Atmosphere | Go Indy Go | 2:06.4 |
| 2013 | Savvy Nature | All Rigged Up | Pinstripe Lane | 2:05.0 |
| 2012 | Super Cool | It’s A Dundeel | Viking Star | 2:08.2 |
| 2011 | Manawanui | Collar | Scelto | 2:07.1 |
| 2010 | Rekindled Interest | Lion Tamer | Hollowlea | 2:07.0 |
| 2009 | Hanks | Spacecraft | Viking Legend | 2:06.2 |
| 2008 | Whobegotyou | Buffett | Orca | 2:05.3 |
| 2007 | Marching | Kibbutz | Barbaricus | 2:06.5 |
| 2006 | Efficient | The One | Excites | 2:05.2 |
| 2005 | Duelled | Manton | Benicio | 2:14.1 |
| 2004 | Plastered | Mr Martini | Count Ricardo | 2:07.6 |
| 2003 | Kempinsky | Elvstroem | Lifes A Bounty | 2:07.1 |
| 2002 | Helenus | Macedon Lady | Wild Heart | 2:08.0 |
| 2001 | Ustinov | Viking Ruler | Pure Theatre | 2:06.3 |
| 2000 | Skalato | Universal Prince | Sale Of Century | 2:09.2 |
FAQ
Who won the 2025 Moonee Valley Vase?
The 2025 Moonee Valley Vase was won by three-year-old Ghaiyyath colt Observer at $1.75 favouritism for trainer Ciaron Maher with jockey Mark Zahra aboard on 57kg from barrier 6 to win by 0.5 lengths on a Good (4) track in a time of 2:07.78.
Who won the 2024 Moonee Valley Vase?
The 2024 Moonee Valley Vase was won by the Nick Ryan-trained Red Aces who saluted for the punters as the $3.20 favourite and was ridden to victory by Jamie Mott.
When is the Moonee Valley Vase 2025?
Saturday October 25, 2025What is the prize money for the Moonee Valley Vase 2025?
$400,000
Where is the Moonee Valley Vase 2025?
Moonee Valley Racecourse, Feehan Ave, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039.
How do I bet on the 2025 Moonee Valley Vase?
Bet online or via the latest iOS/Android app with Ladbrokes.
The first step is to create an account at ladbrokes.com.au. The process is quick and easy!
Once you’ve created your account you can make a deposit via credit card, or any other of our secure payment methods.
Next up, head to the racing page and find the runner that’s right for you.
Which horse will win the 2025 Moonee Valley Vase?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Moonee Valley Vase is to take into account the form, assess the barriers, and consider the weight the horse will carry (among other factors).
Check out ladbrokes.com.au in the lead up to the race for full form information.