Australian Oaks

The 2011 Australian Oaks will take place at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday April 16 for Doncaster Mile Day and 94 three-year-old fillies were nominated for this year’s showdown.

Worth $550,000 in prize money and run over 2400m, the Group 1 Australian Oaks is one of three elite level races on the Randwick race-card for April 16 along with the $2 million Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) and the $350,000 Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m).

Of the 94 early entries heading towards a spot in the 2011 Australian Oaks field, early favourites include:

Brazilian Pulse (Michael Moroney) – Last year’s Crown Oaks winning filly resumed with a first-up second to Do Ra Mi in the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1400m), will improve over the season with more runs over more distance

Shamrocker (Danny O’Brien)- Smart O’Reilly filly was second to Brazilian Pulse in the Crown Oaks last prep, enjoyed an upset win in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington last start bringing her into Oaks contention

More Strawberries (Gai Waterhouse) – Best chance Waterhouse has of winning successive Australian Oaks after scoring with Once Were Wild in 2010, More Than Ready filly is a multiple Group winner and Group 1 placegetter in the Flight Stakes last spring – most recently ran a game fourth in the Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm

Kings Rose (Jason Bridgeman) – Super consistent Redoute’s Choice filly from New Zealand has enjoyed a succession of recent wins including her latest victory in the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) on February 12

Do Ra Mi (Peter Snowden) – Daughter of Savabeel is on the up and up, has won three of her seven starts to date including a great 2 ½ length victory over Brazilian Pulse in the Kewney Stakes on March 12

Lights Of Heaven (Peter Moody) – Unbeaten Zabell filly, lightly-raced with just three starts but has won all including her success in the Group 2 Fillies Classic (1600m) at Moonee Valley on March 4

Southern Speed (Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas) – Impressive South Australian filly won her first three career starts including the Group 3 The Mittys Vanity (1400m) at Flemington before a horror barrier draw saw her finish seventh in the Australian Guineas, returned to form with a devastatingly close second in the Group 3 Schweppervescence Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville on March 14

Pinker Pinker (Greg Eurell) – Group 1 star in the making, daughter of Reset has won back-to-back black-types this campaign with wins in the Group 2 Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and the Group 3 Schweppervescence Trophy (1600m) at Flemington

Betting markets on the 2011 AJC Australian Oaks will open at our preferred online bookmaker Luxbet shortly.

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2011 Patinack Farm Australian Oaks Nominations