The Australian Oaks is a Group 1 race for three-year-old fillies, held each year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. Run over a distance of 2400 metres and worth $1,000,000 in prize money, the Australian Oaks has become an important part of the Sydney autumn racing carnival. Taking place in 2014 on the second day of ‘The Championships’, this event is being run alongside the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Sydney Cup, and Queen of the Turf Stakes.
Special Offer: $650 AUSTRALIAN OAKS FREE BET – Sportsbet
The Australian Oaks has been run since 1885, although it was known as the AJC Oaks until 1894. The race was not held between 1895 and 1921, and became the Adrian Knox Oaks between 1922 and 1956. Reverting back to its original name in 1957, this event didn’t become known as the AJC Australian Oaks until 1994.
This event was originally run over a distance of 1 1/2 miles, changing to a 1 mile race in 1922, a 1 1/4 mile race in 1946, a 1 1/2 mile race in 1956, and a 2400 metre race in 1973. Over the years, some of Australia’s best horses have been attracted to the Australian Oaks, with the winner’s list including a number of notable names.
The race has been won by some classy fillies over the years, including Grand Archway in 1999, Triscay in 1991, and Research in 1989. All of these horses went on to become outstanding mares of the Australian turf, with the most recent winners including Daffodili in 2009, Once Were Wild in 2010, Absolutely in 2011, Streama in 2012, and Royal Descent in 2013.
The race record time for the Australian Oaks was set in 2006 by Serenade Rose, who crossed the finish line in 2:28.6 seconds. Horses competing in the Australian Oaks may come from the Group 1 Storm Queen Stakes held earlier in the carnival at Rosehill, and may also come from the Group 2 Adrian Knox Stakes the previous week at Randwick.
In the news:
Exercising an option on Suavito is set to pay off for connections going into the Group One Australian Oaks.
Suavito’s owners leased the three-year-old but they didn’t take long to buy her from the filly’s New Zealand breeder.
Trainer Nigel Blackiston advised Suavito’s owners to move quickly after her third at Caulfield in September.
“I said `go and buy her straight away, she’s a good filly’,” Blackiston said.
“They took my advice and got her for a good price and she has already repaid them.”
Blackiston handled Suavito cautiously in the spring, avoiding a VRC Oaks campaign with the Australian Oaks in mind.
Suavito ran placings in three stakes races in Melbourne but Blackiston said the Thorn Park filly impressed him most last start in the Group One Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.
“She got back in the Vinery from a bad draw and ran home as well as anything in the race,” Blackiston said.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver buoyed Blackiston’s confidence when he stuck with Suavito.
Blackiston is sure his charge will see out the 2400m of the Oaks.
Suavito looks the best chance of Blackiston’s three Randwick runners with Let’s Make Adeal and Desert Jeuney to run in the Group One Sydney Cup.
The Flemington-based trainer won the Adelaide Cup with Let’s Make Adeal’s `uncle’ Outback Joe with both stayers descending from the 1991 Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Let’s Elope.
Blackiston said Let’s Make Adeal would enjoy returning to handicap conditions after missing a place at weight-for-age in the Group One BMW at Rosehill.
Desert Jeuney will tackle the Sydney Cup at just his 13th start but Blackiston found it hard to split the pair.
“Let’s Make Adeal’s family grows an extra leg when they get over ground and Desert Jeuney could be anything in 12 months,” Blackiston said.
Desert Jeuney is also bred to see out the 3200m of the Sydney Cup.
The four-year-old is by the same sire as the triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva while Desert Jeuney is out of a daughter of the 1994 Melbourne Cup winner Jeune.
