Ladbrokes Tip: The Roses – Queensland Oaks is a popular winter betting double in Brisbane

The Roses, formerly known as the Doomben Roses up until 2009, is a Group 2 race for three-year-old fillies traditionally run at Doomben Racecourse on a Saturday May during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a number of big changes to the 2020 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival including The Roses running over 1800m at Eagle Farm in mid-June offering $175,000. There was also no Queensland Oaks being held in 2020. 

Offering $250,000 in total prize money as of 2021, the set weights race is run over 2000m and is held on the same day as the carnival’s first elite level race – the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m).

The fillies lining-up in The Roses field are traditionally heading towards a run in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm Racecourse a fortnight later and the last filly to complete the double was Youngstar (2018).

Scarlett Lady (2011) and subsequent Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal (2011) are the only other fillies to take out The Roses – Queensland Oaks double since the former was inaugurated in 1996 

In 2014, The Roses winner Arabian Gold went on to run second to Tinto in the Queensland Oaks, Tinto having come off a second in The Roses. Both Gondokoro (2nd in 2013) and Quintessential (4th in 2012) also went on to win the the group 1 after a good lead-up run in the Doomben Roses.

The latest edition of the The Roses ran on Saturday May 22, 2021 and was won by the Chris Waller-trained Only Words. 

The Roses Race Info

• Date: Saturday May 22, 2021
• Track: Doomben Racecourse 
• Distance: 2000m 
• Conditions: 3YO Fillies – Set Weights
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $250,000 
• First Run: 1996

2021 The Roses Results

The full The Roses 2021 race results & finishing order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday May 22, 2021.

• 1st: #8 Only Words
• 2nd: #2 Bargain
• 3rd: #7 Charms Star

The Chris Waller-trained Only Words won her way into the Queensland Oaks via a quality win in The Roses 2021 results, the 15/1 shot upsetting a number of better-fancied rivals including the ATC Oaks third placegetter Bargain who was good in second. 

The Roses Betting & Odds

The Roses betting markets are led by in-form fillies coming off good lead-up runs from the autumn – early winter season. The fillies that finished in the money in the Gold Coast Bracelet, sometimes called simply The Bracelet and run in Brisbane, usually head The Roses odds as do those dropping back in grade from a Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) run over the same distance in Adelaide.

Only Words (3rd in 2021) was the last Gold Coast Bracelet graduate to back-up and win The Roses. 

The last The Roses favourites to salute for the punters were Kenedna ($3 in 2017) who came off a second in the Schweppes Oaks, the Chris Waller-trained Youngstar ($4 in 2018) and the local Toby & Trent Edmonds-trained Vanna Girl ($2.10 in 2020).

The Roses betting markets are dominated by fillies proven over at least 1800m and The Bracelet graduates, and favourites have a fair recent record in the Group 2.

2021 The Roses Odds

The season’s best The Roses 2021 betting odds and markets will be available right here the week of the race so stay tuned for the top Brisbane Winter Racing odds and offers on the Queensland Oaks lead-up.

The Roses field attracts the winter’s most promising staying-type fillies targeting a Queensland Oaks run over the mile and a half a fortnight later at Brisbane’s premier track, Eagle Farm. The traditional lead-up into The Roses field for three-year-old fillies is the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on Hollindale Stakes Day in early May.

Scarlett Lady (2011) was the last filly to win The Roses – Queensland Oaks double during the winter in Brisbane. Photo Credit: Taron Clarke.

In 2016 Kebede ran third in the Gold Coast Bracelet before her The Roses win, while the Bracelet winner Imposing Lass finished third in The Roses.

The previous year, Bohemian Lily won the Gold Coast Bracelet – The Roses double, while Col ‘N’ Lil ran second in both races. Doomben Roses nominations close the Monday before the race before the final field of acceptances and barrier draw is out on the Wednesday.

More recently, Waller’s 2021 The Roses winner Only Words improved on a lead-up third in the Gold Coast Bracelet to win the Group 2 in Brisbane. 

2021 The Roses Field

The official The Roses 2021 field & barriers are set for release on the Wednesday of race week.

The Roses 2021 final field is now out featuring a star line-up of Queensland Oaks-bound fillies led in betting by the ATC Oaks third-placegetter Bargain. 

2021 The Roses Nominations

The Roses 2021 nominations will be provided below on the Monday of race week so stay tuned to see what early Queensland Oaks hopes are targeting the traditional lead-up.

The Roses Tips

The Roses betting tips include looking for the fillies that performed best in the key lead-up race, the Gold Coast Bracelet run a fortnight earlier over 200m shorter.

Other The Roses tips are to look for fillies with proven ability over at least 2000m, fillies that may have contested the spring’s Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington the campaign before and those high up the futures Queensland Oaks odds.

2021 The Roses Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider The Roses 2021 betting tips will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the young hopefuls to back and sack in the Group 2 event.

• To Win: #3 Grace And Harmony ($4.60 at time of publish) 

Hard to knock a filly, especially one from the Waller stable, going as good as this. The Kiwi-bred daughter of Sebring is flying having won her past three on the trot in easier company. Last time out saluted at the Gold Coast in The Bracelet from barrier 12 and has a similar gate here for her acid test. Up in distance but looks like she’ll run it out and J. Mac in the saddle. In well weight-wise, didn’t have the best luck out wide on Slow going in the Bracelet and still saluted by over a length. Any luck and she’ll salute in this and head into the Oaks. 

The Roses Form Guide

The Roses form guide features information like the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up form of all the fillies in the field. Looking for fillies coming off a Black-Type win, those that ran well in the Gold Coast Bracelet last time out, three-year-olds proven at the Doomben track (or Eagle Farm in 2020) and Queensland Oaks hopes are all important when doing The Roses form.

The Roses form has also stacked up in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) on Stradbroke Handicap Day in recent years with Dariana (3rd in 2010) going on to win the Queensland Derby over the boys off a The Roses placing.

Note, in 2020 The Roses ran the weekend after the Stradbroke Handicap and there was no Queensland Derby or Oaks being held due to COVID-19.

2021 The Roses Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive The Roses 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

The Roses Results

The Roses results in Brisbane have been dominated by classy fillies in recent years, many of which went on to perform well in Eagle Farm’s Queensland Oaks over 400m further.

Notable The Roses winners from the past decade include Kenedna (2017), Bohemian Lily (2015), Arabian Gold (2014), Dear Demi (2013) and Scarlet Lady (2011).

Past Winners of The Roses