The Damien Oliver was formerly known as the Linlithgow Stakes
The latest edition of The Damien Oliver race ran on Saturday November 1, 2025 as part of Flemington’s bumper VRC Derby Day card and saw Warnie ($5) charge home off a brilliant Mark Zahra ride.
2025 The Damien Oliver Results
The official The Damien Oliver 2025 Results & Finishing Order will be available below once the sprint takes place at Flemington on Saturday November 1, 2025.
- 1st: No. 6 Warnie
- 2nd: No. 4 Zou Sensation
- 3rd: No. 12 Enxuto
Ciaron Maher’s progressive Highland Reel gelding, Warnie ($5), raced out of his skin to improve on a lead-up Group 3 Moonga Stakes second and claim victory in the 2025 The Damien Oliver results on Derby Day. In a terrific ride by the flying Mark Zahra, who had won the previous race aboard Oaks bound Getta Good Feeling in the Wakeful, Warnie came from well back in the field to wind up over the final 300m and wear down the front running Zou Sensation to salute by a half-length.
2025 The Damien Oliver Odds
The latest The Damien Oliver 2025 betting markets and links to the Victoria Derby Day odds online will be provided below so stay tuned for the best markets on the hopeful sprinters down the Flemington straight this Melbourne Cup Carnival.
| 6. Warnie (7) J: Mark Zahra 56.5kg 45742T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 4. Zou Sensation (4) J: Ben Allen 57.5kg 11461T: L & T Corstens & W Larkin | ||
| 12. Enxuto (3) J: Jye McNeil 53kg 18x75T: Robbie Griffiths | ||
| 1. Steparty (11) J: John Allen 59kg 5x883T: Paul Preusker | ||
| 2. Payline (9) J: Craig Williams 58.5kg x5664T: Chris & Corey Munce | ||
| 3. Media World (6) J: Michael Dee 57.5kg 2x315T: Peter Snowden | ||
| 11. St Lawrence (5) J: Beau Mertens 54kg 0665xT: Gavin Bedggood | ||
| 7. Holymanz (8) J: Ben Melham 56kg 8237xT: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 5. Mighty Ulysses (10) J: Jamie Mott 56.5kg 9400xT: Annabel & Rob Archibald | ||
| 8. Regal Zeus (2) J: Daniel Stackhouse 56kg 428x5T: John McArdle | ||
| 9. Coeur Volante (1) J: Jamie Melham 55kg 890x0T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
The Damien Oliver Tips
Top The Damien Oliver race tips include backing horses coming off a last start win over a similar distance, getting behind graduates of a race like the Caulfield Sprint and backing runners proven down the testing Flemington straight.
Favourites only have a mediocre recent strike rate in the race, so another good tip is to look at the horses with good lead-up form at $10 or over in the markets.
2025 The Damien Oliver Tips
Our Ladbrokes’ insider The Damien Oliver 2025 betting tips and Flemington sprint racing selections will be provided below the week of the race so stay tuned for the horses to back and sack this VRC Derby Day.
To Win: No. 13 King Zephyr
KING ZEPHYR (7) heads into The Damien Oliver as the clear market elect, and there’s plenty to like about sticking with the punters’ pick. The Grahame Begg-trained gelding has been ultra-consistent this prep and looks ready to peak in a race of this calibre. He’s got a sharp record over 1400m (3:2-1-0) and knows his way around Flemington, which plays perfectly to his strengths.
Two starts back, he was dominant at Sandown, lumping 59kg to win by nearly two lengths in BM84 grade. He then stepped up to Listed level in the Weekend Hussler at Caulfield and ran a brave second to Zou Sensation. That day, he was forced to settle near the tail on a leader-biased track, yet still charged home — a run that screamed “next time.”
Jordan Childs sticks with the ride, and from a more favourable setup at HQ, King Zephyr gets every chance to turn the tables. He’s well weighted, maps better, and thrives on big, open tracks. Expect him to bounce back and deliver in style.
| 13. King Zephyr (7) Scratched: | |||
The Damien Oliver is a Group 2 race run on the Saturday prior to the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Victoria Derby Day. VRC Derby Day is the first of four meetings making up the Melbourne Cup Carnival held at the tail-end of the wider Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival in late October or early November each year and features three Group 1 features.
The highlights on the bumper race card are the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m), Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), and Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m). There are also two Group 2 support acts on the program with the Wakeful Stakes (2000m) for fillies and The Damien Oliver run over 1200m by sprinters.
Open to horses aged three-years-old and over, the race is an open handicap event offering $500,000 in total prize money as of 2022.
It can serve as a lead-up to the following Saturday’s Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) – now run as the Champions Sprint – over the same track and distance, a double last achieved by Glamour Puss (2005), while in 2015 Delectation improved on a lead-up fourth in the Salinger Stakes to win the VRC Classic a week later.
The Damien Oliver Race Info
- Former Race Names: Linlithgow Stakes, Salinger Stakes
- Date: Saturday November 1, 2025
- Track: Flemington Racecourse
- Distance: 1200m
- Conditions: Handicap
- Status: Group 2
- Prize Money: $500,000
- First Run: 1868
The Damien Oliver Betting
The Damien Oliver odds are led by horses with a good 1200m record and those proven down the Flemington straight. Some gallopers are more suited to turning track like Moonee Valley, so betting favours those that have previous experience at Flemington Racecourse and those also proven in similar Group company over the season.
Upsets are not uncommon in the race and recent winners to salute at double figures in The Damien Oliver / Linlithgow Stakes betting markets include Éclair Choice ($18 in 2015) and Illustrious Lad ($12 in 2016).
Other recent upsets include the back-to-back victories of Fontelina ($17 in 2012 and $11 in 2013) and Kemalpasa ($11 in 2019). In 2020 Kemalpasa returned to become the race’s latest dual champion saluting at $4.60 in the markets.
There was another upset in the 2021 event with Justacanta narrowly winning at $17 just denying dual defending champ Kemalpasa a third consecutive win, while in 2023 Cause For Concern won the renamed race at The Damien Oliver odds of $12.
In 2024 Another Wil ($3.90) and Jimmysstar ($2.20F) started the top two in betting both trained by Ciaron Maher and ran the quinella but in reverse order of the market.
The Damien Oliver Field
The Damien Oliver race field features a quality line-up of sprinters, although the top tier short-distance runners are often saved for the following Saturday’s Group 1 VRC Champions Sprint (1200m). Runners in the event may come off lead-up spring runs in a race like the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m) on Caulfield Cup Day or a start in the world’s richest turf race – the $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick that produced the 2018 Salinger winner Osborne Bulls.
The Damien Oliver nominations close the Monday before the race runs that Saturday on Derby Day and the final acceptances and barriers are out on the Wednesday.
2025 The Damien Oliver Field
The official The Damien Oliver 2025 Final Field & Barriers are due for release on the Wednesday of race week and will be detailed in full below so stay tuned to see what sprinters make the starting line-up.
The Damien Oliver 2025 final field is now out featuring a bumper line-up of potential Champions Sprint bound hopefuls including last start Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes winner Zou Sensation and Ciaron Maher’s Group 3 Moonga Stakes runner-up Warnie.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Steparty
J: John Allen
T: Paul Preusker |
35x883 | G | 11 | 59kg | |
|
2. Payline
J: Craig Williams
T: Chris & Corey Munce |
8x5664 | G | 9 | 58.5kg | |
|
3. Media World
J: Michael Dee
T: Peter Snowden |
12x315 | H | 6 | 57.5kg | |
|
4. Zou Sensation
J: Ben Allen
T: L & T Corstens & W Larkin |
111461 | G | 4 | 57.5kg | |
|
5. Mighty Ulysses
J: Jamie Mott
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
59400x | G | 10 | 56.5kg | |
|
6. Warnie
J: Mark Zahra
T: Ciaron Maher |
545742 | G | 7 | 56.5kg | |
|
7. Holymanz
J: Ben Melham
T: Ciaron Maher |
08237x | G | 8 | 56kg | |
|
8. Regal Zeus
J: Daniel Stackhouse
T: John McArdle |
5428x5 | G | 2 | 56kg | |
|
9. Coeur Volante
J: Jamie Melham
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
4890x0 | M | 1 | 55kg | |
| 10. Depth Of Character (10) Scratched: | |||||
|
11. St Lawrence
J: Beau Mertens
T: Gavin Bedggood |
x0665x | G | 5 | 54kg | |
|
12. Enxuto
J: Jye McNeil
T: Robbie Griffiths |
118x75 | G | 3 | 53kg | |
| 13. King Zephyr (7) Scratched: | |||||
| 14. Ndola (12) Scratched: | |||||
2025 The Damien Oliver Nominations
The early The Damien Oliver 2025 Nominations are taken on the Monday of Derby Day week and will be updated below once confirmed by Racing Victoria.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x112x030x | ALTIVO (GB) | G | 7 | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | 81 |
| 2 | x70x2660x4 | AMENABLE | G | 6 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | 101 |
| 3 | 6214800×88 | COASTWATCH | G | 7 | Richard & Will Freedman | 99 |
| 4 | x7104890x0 | COEUR VOLANTE (NZ) | M | 5 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 100 |
| 5 | 53112×0308 | DEPTH OF CHARACTER | G | 4 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 96 |
| 6 | 1148×66319 | DISNECK | G | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 94 |
| 7 | 2511118×75 | ENXUTO | G | 5 | Robbie Griffiths | 92 |
| 8 | 31x308237x | HOLYMANZ (NZ) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher | 98 |
| 9 | 46111×4806 | IS IT ME | G | 6 | Daniel Bowman | 97 |
| 10 | x11110x312 | KING ZEPHYR | G | 5 | Grahame Begg | 90 |
| 11 | 36x112x315 | MEDIA WORLD | H | 4 | Peter Snowden | 101 |
| 12 | 740x59400x | MIGHTY ULYSSES (GB) | G | 7 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 99 |
| 13 | 71x7293x11 | NDOLA | G | 4 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 89 |
| 14 | 569x51700x | NICOLINI VITO | G | 8 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 97 |
| 15 | 69398×5664 | PAYLINE | G | 5 | Chris & Corey Munce | 103 |
| 16 | 1x2212x154 | PERSIAN SPIRIT | G | 5 | Symon Wilde | 77 |
| 17 | 0x446x0546 | PONDALOWIE | M | 5 | Emma-Lee & David Browne | 89 |
| 18 | x2115428x5 | REGAL ZEUS | G | 5 | John McArdle | 98 |
| 19 | 1x170x3408 | ROYAL INSIGNIA | H | 4 | Grahame Begg | 88 |
| 20 | 1679x0665x | ST LAWRENCE (NZ) | G | 7 | Gavin Bedggood | 94 |
| 21 | x110x90x23 | STAR PATROL | G | 7 | Clinton McDonald | 103 |
| 22 | 332235×883 | STEPARTY | G | 5 | Paul Preusker | 104 |
| 23 | 16x1721x23 | SUNSHINEINMYPOCKET (NZ) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 84 |
| 24 | 111×4154 | VINROCK | C | 3 | Matt Laurie | 102 |
| 25 | 2×43545742 | WARNIE (IRE) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 99 |
| 26 | 70×5111461 | ZOU SENSATION | G | 6 | Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin | 101 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
The Damien Oliver Form Guide
The Damien Oliver race form guide gives punters crucial information needed to place a well-informed wager like the track / distance records of the runners, their jockeys / trainers and lead-up performance.
The form has held up in tougher Group races later in the spring a number of times in recent years including in the Darley Classic – now run as the Champions Sprint – run seven days later. In 2013 Fontelina won the Salinger for the second year on the trot before a fourth to Buffering in the Darley Classic. Spirit Of Boom also ran second in both the 2012 and 2013 edition.
In 2012 Spirit Of Boom (2nd) went on to run third in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) in Perth two runs later and fourth in the same Ascot elite level on the back of his 2013 Salinger Stakes second placing. In 2015 the Salinger Stakes produced that year’s Daley Classic winner Delectation (4th).
The four out of the 2020 Salinger Stakes held Kemalpasa and Order Of Command ran first and second in the race for the second time before also running the quinella in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes on Zipping Classic Day. Order Of Command would also go on to run second in the next year’s Group 1 The Galaxy behind Eduardo in Sydney.
In 2022 the Linlithgow Stakes winner franked the form running third next start in the $1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.
The form out of the 2024 The Damien Oliver has stacked up in a big way. Winner Another Wil backed it up with a strong second in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes next start, then returned in autumn to claim the CF Orr Stakes — serious credentials. Runner-up Jimmysstar has gone to another level since, landing both the Oakleigh Plate and All Aged Stakes at Group 1 level before a huge third in The Everest. Safe to say, that race has turned into a proper form reference.
2025 The Damien Oliver Form Guide
A link to our insider The Damien Oliver 2025 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.
Salinger Stakes / Linlithgow Stakes / The Damien Oliver Results
The Salinger Stakes / Linlithgow Stakes / The Damien Oliver race results over the past decade have been a mixed bag between favourites and double-figure winners scoring an upset.
The last favourite to salute was Rich Charm (2017), while the last back-to-back champ was Fontelina (2012-2013). Other notable recent Salinger Stakes / Linlithgow Stakes winners include Eagle Falls (2009), Hot Danish (2008), Dance Hero (2006), and Takeover Target (2004).
Phar Lap is one of the most famous past winners of this event back in 1930 during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. He won an event on all four days of that year’s Carnival including of course the iconic Melbourne Cup race.
Fastnet Rock (2004) was the last three-year-old Linlithgow Stakes winner.
Sister Madly (2011) was the last Linlithgow Stakes winning mare.
From 2023 the event has been known as The Damien Oliver.
Past Salinger Stakes / Linlithgow Stakes / The Damie Oliver Past Winners
Recent winners of the race now known as The Damien Oliver along with the placegetters and winning times dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | 2nd | 3rd | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Warnie | Zou Sensation | Enxuto | 1:21.62 |
| 2024 | Another Wil | Jimmysstar | Steparty | 1:22.96 |
| 2023 | Cause For Concern | Bandersnatch | Munhamek | 1:22.35 |
| 2022 | Old Flame | Poland | Ironclad | 1:23.6 |
| 2021 | Justacanta | Kemalpasa | Isaurian | 1:10.0 |
| 2020 | Kemalpasa | Order Of Command | Bold Star | 1:10.4 |
| 2019 | Kemalpasa | Order Of Command | Zoutori | 1:10.0 |
| 2018 | Osborne Bulls | Bons Away | Runson | 1:09:8 |
| 2017 | Rich Charm | Missrock | The Monstar | 1:08.9 |
| 2016 | Illustrious Lad | Counterattack | Southern Legend | 1:08.3 |
| 2015 | Eclair Choice | Hot Snitzel | Dothraki | 1:09.3 |
| 2014 | Deep Field | Driefontein | In Cahoots | 1:11.0 |
| 2013 | Fontelina | Spirit Of Boom | Rarefied | 1:09.0 |
| 2012 | Fontelina | Spirit Of Boom | Tiger Tees | 1:08.8 |
| 2011 | Sister Madly | Rarefied | Temple Of Boom | 1:10.4 |
| 2010 | Whitefriars | Beaded | Chasm | 1:11.1 |
| 2009 | Eagle Falls | Turffontein | Absolutelyfabulous | 1:08.9 |
| 2008 | Hot Danish | Fighting Fund | Sunburnt Land | 1:10.1 |
| 2007 | Swick | Great is Great | Typhoon Zed | 1:08.9 |
| 2006 | Dance Hero | Shadoways | Miss Andretti | 1:08.6 |
| 2005 | Glamour Puss | Barely A Moment | Cape Of Good Hope | 1:08.9 |
| 2004 | Takeover Target | Recurring | St Basil | 1:08.2 |
| 2003 | Ancient Song | Into The Night | Blessum | 1:11.0 |
| 2002 | Rubitano | Intelligent Star | Cosmic Strike | 1:07.1 |
| 2001 | Sudurka | Hire | Camena | 1:08.4 |
| 2000 | Easy Rocking | Umrum | Tilt The Scales | 1:10.0 |
FAQ
Who won the 2025 The Damien Oliver?
The 2025 The Damien Oliver was won by five-year-old Highland Reel gelding Warnie at $5 for trainer Ciaron Maher with jockey Mark Zahra aboard on 57kg (a half kilo over the horse’s 56.5kg allocation) from barrier 7 to win by 0.5 lengths on a Good (3) track in a time of 1:21.62.
Who won the 2024 The Damien Oliver?
The 2024 Damien Oliver was won by the Ciaron Maher-trained Another Wil at $3.90 with Jamie Kah riding.
When is The Damien Oliver 2025?
Saturday November 1, 2025What is the prize money for The Damien Oliver 2025?
$500,000
Where is The Damien Oliver 2025?
Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Rd, Flemington VIC 3031.
How do I bet on the 2025 The Damien Oliver?
Bet online or via the latest iOS/Android apps 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 race and runner that's right for you.
What horse will win the 2025 The Damien Oliver?
The best way to pick which horse will win The Damien Oliver 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.