The Q22 Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025

You may not have heard about The Q22 before, as the race recently had a revamp after previously being known as the PJ O'Shea Stakes. This is a Group 2 race, but we figured that due to the insane amount of prize money on offer, we would put together a page like we have for all the other Group One races on the calendar!

The Q22 is a weight-for-age race over a distance of 2,200m and there is a mammoth $1.2 million on offer. Racing Queensland put forward this new version of the race in 2019 to help rejuvenate their Brisbane Winter Carnival. However, the race didn’t go forward in 2020 due to COVID-19, so we had to wait until 2021 for the first edition of this newly minted-race.

The race is smack bang in the middle of Brisbane’s Winter Carnival at Eagle Farm Racecourse, which is one of the top tracks in the country. On the same day as The Q22, we also see two Group 1s, which include the Stradbroke Handicap and the J J Atkins.

The Q22 helps highlight the quality racing that we see in Brisbane each year and the race is now the second-richest event in the city. The winner of this race will be exempt from the ballot for the Caulfield Cup, which is worth $5 million.

There’s already a heap of prize money on offer, but now there is an extra incentive, which has been brought in to entice 3YOs to race. Racing Queensland is putting an extra $100,000 in cash or $250,000 in QTISx vouchers on the table for any runner that finishes first or second in the Queensland Derby or the Queensland Oaks (both Group 1s) and then runs top three in The Q22.

On top of this, if a runner can win the Hollindale Stakes (Group 2) and the Doomben Cup (Group 1) or The Q22, they will receive a bonus. There is a bonus of $150,000 on offer for the owners plus another $50,000 for the trainer of the runner.

This page on The Q22 here at OnlyRacing.com.au will cover everything you need to know. The Q22 has taken a new life and is now one of the key races in Brisbane’s Winter Racing Carnival. We cover aspects like the best tips, odds and betting information, along with other important details like the field, form guide and results.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the race, we thought we’d take a look at the breakdown of the prize money. While The Q22 is technically a Group 2, the amount of prize money on offer is more than some of the Group 1s on the calendar! Check out the breakdown of prize money below:

Boy, oh, boy! Do we love horse racing tips, or do we love horse racing tips?! But it’s not just horse racing tips that we love, more specifically, it is free horse racing tips. One quick squiz at our website and you’ll notice that we’ve got more free horse racing tips than you can poke a stick at.

We don’t just provide tips for all the Group 1 races on the Australian calendar, but we also provide tips for major meetings as well. The experts here at OnlyRacing take providing horse racing tips for The Q22 very seriously and this is why they are holding off until race week.

Until race week, you can check out The Q22 tips our experts put together for the 2024 below:

The Q22 Best Bet - Fawkner Park

I think Fawkner Park is the deserved favourite and I’m putting him on top, but there are certainly a lot of other value plays in this race (which I will get to in a second). At the time of writing, Fawkner Park is listed at $4.00 with PlayUp, which is still decent enough value, but I think others at long odds could cause an upset.

Fawkner Park has won seven times from 16 starts and I love the fact he draws barrier three - it all seems to be working for him. Last time out, he went down fighting, so his spirit is perfect for this type of difficult race. Trainer Neasham is on fire at the moment, so let’s see if she can add another to her list!

The Q22 Next Best - Hezashocka 

Not bad value for my next best, Hezashocka is currently listed with odds of $10, thanks to PlayUp. Not exactly sure he isn’t getting the respect he deserves, should be a little shorter in my eyes. He has been going great guns as of late and he put up a very solid performance in the Doomben Cup.

Just a week after the Doomben Cup, he backed up that performance with a win in the Premiers Cup, thanks to a class ride by Jamie Kah. The 2,200m is fine in my books and he comes into this race rock-hard and as fit as he could be. A little sprinkle on the win and more for the place, which is at $3.30.

The Q22 Best Roughie - Amokura

I’m pretty confident with an each-way bet on Amokura, who is currently listed at odds of $17 to win The Q22. Things weren’t going her way leading into the Doomben Cup, but she still put in a stellar effort in the closing stages of the race. Leading into The Q22, the setup is much better, so I’m expecting a sharp improvement. 

From all the runners coming through the Doomben Cup, I think she could be the biggest improver. She likes Eagle Farm and has won at this distance before. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if she takes that out. Things are all coming together for her in The Q22, so let’s see how it all pans out on Saturday.

It’s a big day of racing on The Q22 Day, so it’s no surprise you’re here on this section of the page, to brush up on everything betting-related! You may be new to the world of betting, or a more experienced punter, but it never hurts to go back to basics. 

When it comes to The Q22 betting or any race for that matter, we always recommend betting on several different markets on your favourite betting apps. As we get closer to race day, you’ll notice more markets will open up. If you aren’t sure about what each market actually entails, then you will need to do research before placing any bets.

Along with the markets, one of our other key recommendations is to bet on a variety of different horse racing betting sites. One quick look around and you’ll notice just how many Australian betting sites there are. If you’re in the market for a new bookie, then you need to check out our bookie reviews page.

In our bookie reviews, we go into great detail about each of the best betting apps going around. It certainly pays to have accounts with multiple bookies because you can easily take advantage of better odds, betting promotions and betting sites bonuses.

If you’re not exactly sure where to start, then you should check out PlayUp, BetRight and Dabble. These three bookies are all unique and offer some great features. If you’re looking for more than just three bookie recommendations, then scroll up to our “Betting Sites” section!

The Q22 may be a Group 2, but the prize money that’s on offer ensures we always see some of the best local and international runners going around. Since the race was updated from the PJ O'Shea Stakes and first run under the new format in 2021, we have seen a very high-quality field. 

The Q22 field for 2025 is not yet available, but we are expecting a quality field to line up. Along with the field, we will also provide the odds for the race, in our “Odds” section further down on this page, if available. Looking through the odds will show which runners are more likely to make an appearance in the field.

As we still don’t know which runners will line up for the race in 2025, let’s go through The Q22 field for the race in 2024 below:

In 2024, we saw a nice field of 18 runners confirmed for The Q22. No emergencies have been listed either, but that didn’t matter in the end as there weren’t any pre-race scratchings. This meant that all 18 runners had their chance to win The Q22.

You’ll notice that scratchings happen all the time in horse racing. This is even the case in races like The Q22 where there is a lot of prize money on the table. While it is annoying to learn the horse you bet on has been scratched, you will get your stake back!

Along with scratchings, it is a good idea to look into the barrier draw. The barrier each horse jumps from can play a role in how the race shakes out. Some runners have a certain race style and would prefer jumping from a wider or inside barrier.

If you’re the kind of person who prefers to bet with your head and not your heart, then The Q22 form guide section is for you! You need to go through all the stats about the race to try and find patterns that will hopefully point you in the direction of a winner.

There have only been a couple of editions of The Q22 since the revamp, so there isn’t a lot of data and stats to go through. But we have done our best to pick up the little crumbs that are currently available and put together The Q22 form guide the best we can. Check out what we’ve found below!

There are a few win and you’re in races before The Q22, so it is worth checking them out as lead-up runs to see which runners put their best foot forward. The races you should look into include the Doomben Cup, Queensland Derby, Lord Mayor's Cup and the Queensland Oaks.

You should also make sure you look into runners that are proven at weight-for-age conditions and can handle the 2,000m+ distance. The barrier draw doesn’t have as major of an influence as in other races as the Eagle Farm track has a long straight. 

In The Q22, the first three winners were 6YO, which may mean that more mature stayers have a better opportunity to win the race, despite carrying more on their backs, but it is still too early to tell. In 2024, Fawkner Park won The Q22 as a 5YO.

In terms of the favourite, so far we have seen three favourites win The Q22 (Fawkner Park in 2024, Without A Fight in 2023 and Zaaki in 2020), along with one $21 long-shot (Numerian in 2022). We will have to wait and see how the next handful of races play out to see if The Q22 is a race for favourites or not.

Ever since The Q22 got its revamp in 2020, we have seen some top-notch horses compete in the race. Only the best The Q22 horses can go on to win the race though, as we’ve seen the race take on a more international flavour since 2021. 

As there are only a handful of editions of the race since the revamp, we have decided to go on and feature every single winning horse in this section. You’ll learn more about each horse and what else they have managed to accomplish in their respective careers. Check out all The Q22 horses below:

Zaaki - 2021

Zaaki is a multiple Group 1 winner and also managed to win the first-ever The Q22 in 2021. The gelding has over $10 million in prize money so far in his career and includes wins in races like the Champions Stakes, the All Star Mile and the Doomben Cup. So far, Zaaki has a record of 47:15-8-10.

Numerian - 2022

Numerian won The Q22 at double-digit odds and has also placed twice at Group 1 level. The gelding has a current career record of 42: 6-10-4 and has amassed almost $3 million in prize money. Numerian has placed in the Doomben Cup along with the Australian Cup.

Without A Fight - 2023

Without A Fight is already a multiple Group 1 winner, but he also took out The Q22 in 2023. In five attempts at Group 1 level, Without A Fight has won on two occasions, so far. Most notably, Without A Fight won the 2023 Melbourne Cup! The other Group 1 race he has won so far in his career is the Caulfield Cup. Those wins have helped him rack up over $9 million in prize money.

Fawkner Park - 2024

The favourite of the 2024 edition of The Q22, Fawkner Park, won the race. The gelding has a career record of 17: 8-1-2 so far and has amassed over $1 million in prize money. Before The Q22, Fawkner Park finished third in the Doomben Cup, which is his first placing at Group 1 level so far in his career.

If you’re going to bet on The Q22, then you’ll need to check out the odds beforehand. The shorter the odds, the more likely that outcome will occur, according to the bookie you are looking at. There are plenty of horse racing betting apps out there and they will all provide The Q22 odds.

You’ll notice that as we get closer to race day, more horse racing markets will open up. So, no matter if you want to bet on something simple, like a Fixed Win, or something a little more complex, like the First Four, you’ll have all the options available to you! PlayUp will have all these markets and more, for your betting pleasure.

When it’s race week, you’ll notice heaps of different markets open up, so no matter what you’d like to bet on, you’ll likely find a market! When the market is live, you’ll notice the odds will be constantly changing. Many factors influence changes in the odds, so if you see a price you like, we recommend jumping on it while you still can!

If you are betting when the market is listed as “Before Noms” then you have the added security of knowing you’ll get your stake back if your chosen runner doesn’t make it into the final field. You won’t have any such luck if the market is listed as “All-In”, so it pays to keep an eye on that.

While the odds market isn’t available just yet for The Q22 in 2025, you can check out the table below which features the odds for every runner in the race for 2024:

*Odds correct as of 13/06/2024.

As for The Q22, there is actually only a short history of the race. But as we already know, the race was previously known as the PJ O'Shea Stakes and was given a major revamp by Racing Queensland to make the race one of the highlights of Brisbane’s Winter Racing Carnival, one of the biggest horse racing carnivals on the calendar.

We will take a brief look at the race when it was known as the PJ O’Shea Stakes before taking a look at the history of The Q22 itself. The PJ O’Shea Stakes was first run back in 1947 when won by Russia. There have been many changes to the name of the race and the distance, however, the race saw a major revamp in 2020.

The race was known as a Principal Race up until 1978. Then, from 1979 onwards, the race was upgraded to Group 2 level. Even after Racing Queensland’s revamp of the race, it still remains a Group 2 level race, but with the prize money of a Group 1.

The Q22 was supposed to go ahead in 2020, but COVID-19 meant the inaugural running of the new-look race was postponed until 2021. Since the revamp, we have seen a major uplift in prize money and this has resulted in many more international runners competing in the race for a slice of the prize money pie. 

While The Q22 isn’t technically a Group 1, we have a list of all the major races on the calendar, which directs you to a page just like this one on over 100 races on the Australian calendar. You should check out our Group One races list for more information on the other races.

We have all The Q22 results you’ve been searching for. Do you want to know the finishing order of every single runner in the race? We’ve got you sorted. Do you want to watch the full race replay video? We’ve got you sorted again! As soon as the race has been run and won each year, we will update this section with the latest The Q22 results.

For The Q22 in 2024, we saw the pre-race favourite, Fawkner Park win. Fawkner Park put some distance between his rivals as well, beating second-placed Knight's Choice by 3.9L. Fawkner Park finished third in the Doomben Cup before winning The Q22.

In third place was Bois D'argent, who was a further 5.3L off the pace. In 2024, The Q22 was run in a time of 2:14.41 and there was a distance of 17.2L that split the first and 18th runners across the finishing post.

See where each runner in The Q22 finished below:

We said we would provide a full video replay and we always mean what we say! Check out the full video replay of The Q22 below:

There can only be one winner every year (unless we see a rare dead heat). We are going to focus on the race after it underwent a major revamp and began to be known as The Q22. So, check out all The Q22 winners below:

If you’ve read through this entire page on The Q22 and you still have some questions about the race, then this section is for you. We have put together a list of common questions people have about The Q22 and answered them all. You can check them out below: