Ottawa Stakes 2023

The Ottawa Stakes is one of the Group 3 support races on VRC Oaks Day at Flemington.

The Ottawa Stakes is a Group 3 short-distance sprint race run over 1000m at Flemington on the third day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Held on the Thursday after the world-famous Melbourne Cup race on the first Tuesday of November, the Ottawa Stakes runs alongside the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) and Group 3 Red Roses Stakes (1100m) on VRC Oaks Day.

The event is run at set weights and is open only to two-year-old fillies.

The Ottawa Stakes offers $200,000 in prize money and is often contested by young fillies on debut.

The race was inaugurated in 1978 and gained its current Group 3 status in 2013 with Oakleigh Girl won.

It was not held between 1986 and 1990, and the event has been run as a host of different names due to sponsorship.

The latest edition of the Ottawa Stakes ran on Thursday November 9, 2023 as part of VRC Oaks Day 2023 and saw the in-form Karavas flash home down the outside for a one-length upset.

2023 Ottawa Stakes Results

2023 Ottawa Stakes winner Karavas was good at Flemington winning the first on Oaks Day. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #4 Karavas
• 2nd: #7 Eneeza
• 3rd: #3 Arabian Summer

Richard & Chantelle Jolly’s Alabama Express filly Karavas ($9) made it a perfect two-from-two start to her career backing up from a successful debut in early October to travel to Flemington, stalk up on the outside the closing stages, and flash home for a one-length victory over beaten favourite Eneeza in the 2023 Ottawa Stakes results thanks to a perfectly-timed ride by Jake Toeroek.

The official Ottawa Stakes 2023 Results & Finishing order including the Ottawa Stakes winner will be available below once the race takes place on VRC Oaks Day Thursday November 9, 2023.

2023 Ottawa Stakes Odds

The season’s latest Ottawa Stakes 2023 betting odds on the field two-year fillies will be available as soon as released so stay tuned for access to the best markets on the VRC Oaks Day Group 3 this spring.

Ottawa Stakes Info

• 2023 Race Name: Darley Ottawa Stakes
• Date: Thursday November 9, 2023
• Track: Flemington Racecourse
• Distance: 1000m
• Conditions: 2YO Fillies – Set Weights
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $200,000
• First Run: 1978

Ottawa Stakes Betting

Odds for the Ottawa Stakes are displayed shortly after the final field is released on the Monday prior to the race but most of the betting is done on the Thursday with the number of bets increasing as it gets closer to start time.

The Ottawa Stakes odds displayed by bookies are determined by the lead up form over the Spring Carnival and may include races in Melbourne as well as the Sydney Carnival. The prices on individual fillies range from the favourite who would have been winning or running around the placings and could be as short as $3 and range up to $51 to $101 for those horses that have been running near to last than first.

Dosh ($5.50 in 2020) and Charm Stone ($4.60 in 2023) are the latest favourites or equal-favourites in Ottawa Stakes betting to win.

Ottawa Stakes betting is big business as the punters enjoy bets on VRC Oaks Day.

Ottawa Stakes Tips

Tips for the Ottawa Stakes are dominated by any two-year-old fillies with previous race experience down the iconic Flemington straight track and any non-maidens in the race.

2023 Ottawa Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive Ottawa Stakes 2023 tips and selections on what two-year-old fillies will enjoy a VRC Oaks Day victory will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned.

• To Win: #3 Arabian Summer ($7 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Typically open edition of the Ottawa Stakes to kick off Oaks Day at Flemington but happy to go with Arabian Summer to break her maiden status second-up off a promising debut. The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained daughter of Too Darn Hot ran at Caulfield on October 18 to finish second to Coleman in the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m). Same distance against her own kind now. Was in front and full of speed on debut. Fitter now with experience. Can give them something to chase. Can win.

Ottawa Stakes Field

The final field for the Group 3 Ottawa Stakes is made up of young two-year-old fillies, many that could be making their big race debut.

See You In Heaven (2021) was the last debutant to win the Ottawa Stakes.

Ottawa Stakes nominations close the Friday before the race – one day before the Melbourne Cup Carnival kicks off with VRC Derby Day on the Saturday – with final acceptances closing on the Monday prior to the Melbourne Cup.

2023 Ottawa Stakes Field

The official 2023 Ottawa Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw will be published below once announced on the Monday before the race.

The Ottawa Stakes 2023 field features a smart line-up of two-year-old fillies led in betting by the rails-drawn Eneeza for Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman and the Team Hayes-trained Harpalee both on debut without an official trial.

2023 Ottawa Stakes Nominations

The early Ottawa Stakes 2023 Nominations close the Friday leading up to 2023 VRC Oaks Day, the entries to be published in full right here once released by Racing Victoria.

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Ottawa Stakes Form Guide

The Ottawa Stakes form guide shows all the must know race facts and stats on the fillies in the field including their lead-up runs, strike-rate at the track / distance and the Ottawa Stakes barrier draw.

The Ottawa Stakes form has gone on to be franked by a number past winners including True Jewels (2000) and Lady Jakeo (1992) who both went on to win the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) the autumn after their Ottawa victories.

The 2022 Ottawa Stakes winner Charm Storm returned in the autumn of 2023 to win a couple of Black-Type events including the Group 3 Quezette Stakes and ran a solid fifth in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes results in Sydney.

2023 Ottawa Stakes Form Guide

A link to the full 2023 Ottawa Stakes Form Guide will be provided below once the field is out.

Ottawa Stakes Results

The Ottawa Stakes race results display the full finishing order of all the runners, their starting prices and weights along with the winning margins and times.

The 2013 Ottawa Stakes winner Oakleigh Girl was by Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner Snitzel out of  Oakleigh Plate winner Miss Kournikova.

Ottawa Stakes Past Winners

Recent Ottawa Stakes winners and place-getters dating back to the year 1999 are detailed in the below table.