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

The Quokka is a weight-for-age special conditions race and even though it isn’t a Group 1 race, it still attracts a lot of attention due to the $5 million in prize money on offer. The 1,200m race takes place each year at Ascot Racecourse and in 2025 the race will be held on Saturday, April 19.

The Quokka has only been around since 2023, but if you’d like some quick facts about the race, check out the table below:

The Quokka is probably one of the newest races on the Australian calendar and while it isn’t technically a Group 1 race, the fact that there is $5 million in prize money means it is a race that attracts a lot of interest. 

In fact, the race has only been running since 2023! On the same day, there are two other Group One races taking place at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, the All Aged Stakes and the Champagne Stakes.

While you may have never heard about The Quokka before, you probably would have heard of the race it’s based on, The Everest! The Quokka is a special conditions slot race and is the richest race held in Western Australia each year.

Much like The Everest, The Quokka is run over a distance of 1,200m and sees some of the best sprinters in Australia (and the world) fight it out for some serious coin. There are 14 slot holders in The Quokka and each slot costs $200K. It is the same process as The Everest as the slot holders get to choose which runner they want to race in their slot.

Given the success of The Everest, The Quokka was brought in by Racing and Wagering WA to add some extra pizazz to their Autumn Racing Carnival. Even though The Quokka hasn’t been running for very long, it has already attracted some of the best horses across to Perth and we can’t wait to see which runners will line up in the upcoming race!

We see The Quokka raced at Ascot Racecourse and while the racecourse may not see as many big-money races as some of the East Coast tracks, it is still one of the top tracks in the country. Ascot Racecourse is also home to Group 1 races like Railway Stakes and the Northerly Stakes.

Our page on The Quokka will show you everything you need to know about this new race including how and where to bet. We will also cover other aspects of the race, like the race’s (short) history, form guide information, results and more.

We invite you to check back on this page here at OnlyRacing.com.au on race week as we will update all the relevant information. This means you’ll find our best The Quokka tips, latest odds and final field information. Our tips will cover the best bet, next best and best roughie for the race, so there is something for everyone!

But before we dig in and provide our The Quokka tips, we’ve got something very important to share with you, the breakdown of prize money for the race. Check out the amount of money each of the runners will take home, depending on where they finish in the race below:

We are so excited to be tipping this new race! It does provide some challenges though, as The Quokka is so new, but we are certainly up for the challenge. We not only provide free horse racing tips for races like The Quokka but also daily tips, including Ascot tips, that cover all the main events at the track. So, no matter what you are looking for, you’ll find it with us here at OnlyRacing.

At this stage, not all the slots have been confirmed for The Quokka, so we haven’t provided our tips just yet. We are waiting until race week to provide our tips because even if all the slots have been filled, things can change pretty quickly in horse racing!

While you wait for the tips to be confirmed for the race in 2025, you can check out all our expert tips for the race in 2024 below:

The Quokka Best Bet - Amelia’s Jewel

I tipped Amelia’s Jewel for The Quokka in 2023 and even though I was wrong last year by 0.04L, I’m sticking with my guns again! Since then, she has gone on to claim two wins at Group 2 level, which were at distances of 1,400m and 1,600m

She gets a wide barrier (12) for The Quokka, which I think could work to her advantage as it means she’s got a couple of options. Jockey Damian Lane can slot her in near the rear of the field or push forward, with the risk of getting caught wide. Personally, I’d like to see her held back as her closing speed is awesome and it leaves nothing to chance.

The Quokka Next Best - Overpass

The winner of The Quokka in 2023. Can Overpass break my heart again and claim victory in 2024 against Amelia’s Jewel? Well, I certainly hope not, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Overpass and Amelia’s Jewel going toe-to-toe again in the closing stages of the race. If anything it sets up for another epic edition of The Quokka!

He has wins in races like the Winterbottom Stakes and the barrier suits Overpass, meaning jockey Joshua Parr shouldn’t have to do a lot of work to settle in near the front. He enjoys the track at Ascot and I think he will be fighting it out with Amelia’s Jewel in the closing stages, just like last year.

The Quokka Best Roughie - Ripcord

I’ll be having a little sprinkle on Ripcord in The Quokka. He has gone unloved in the market, currently listed at odds of $21, but I see a lot of potential in him. He just needs to be at his best and have a little luck on his side. If he gets that, he could surprise a few come Saturday. 

Putting in a couple of solid performances, including in the Roma Cup. He keeps going under the radar but his attitude is something that has caught my eye. He’s the never giving up guy! I think Ripcord will settle in close to the back of the field and then he’ll have plenty in the tank to run over the top of them (hopefully!).

The Quokka has quickly become one of the biggest betting events to take place at Ascot Racecourse. If you want to get in on the action but aren’t exactly sure where to start, we will guide you through the entire process!

First things first, you’ll have to choose from one of the best betting apps to place your bets with. Even if you already have an account with one of the many betting sites available in Australia, it could still pay to look around. 

Each bookie has a slightly different offering and you could be missing out on things like better odds or betting offers by not seeing what else is out there. Betting sites bonuses are also a huge draw card to checking out any new bookies, so it’s always a good idea to see what’s on offer.

Here at OnlyRacing, we provide all-encompassing reviews of the top horse racing betting sites going around. Our reviews are written by punters who actually bet with the bookie, so they are providing first-hand information on the bookie. You will have all the information needed to ensure the best decision is made.

Not only do you need to find somewhere to bet on The Quokka, but you also need to choose a betting market. There are heaps of betting markets to choose from, with some more complex than others. We always think it’s a good idea to try something new, but only if you fully understand the bet type you are moving forward with.

Bookies like PlayUp, Bet365 and JuicyBet are some of the best betting apps going around because of the range of available markets. Those bookies are just three options though, so if you’re looking for more bookie options you can scroll up to our “Betting Sites” section above for all the variety you could ever need.

The Quokka is a unique race with slot holders getting the chance to choose which runner they would like in the race. This means that as each slot holder confirms their runner, we are one step closer to finalising the entire field. Things are never set in stone though, so it is always best to wait until the week of the race to get the confirmed list of runners.

We will also showcase The Quokka odds in our “Odds” section below. You’ll find that as soon as a runner is confirmed in a particular slot of the race, their odds will likely reduce dramatically. There will also be several odds changes between now and the race, so keep an eye on things if you’re planning to bet.

While we wait for The Quokka field to be confirmed, check out all the runners that lined up for the race in 2024 below:

As we expected, all 14 slots have been filled for The Quokka in 2024, this means we saw 14 runners line up for the lion’s share of the $5 million in prize money on offer. There were also four emergencies but in the end, that didn’t matter as there weren’t any scratchings before the race.

If you’re new to the world of horse racing, you must be aware of scratchings. Scratchings happen pretty regularly in horse racing and can happen at any time, completely out of the blue. So, if you’ve got a bet on the race, be sure to keep an eye on the field to see if there are any scratchings.

You should also check out the barrier draw as well. The barrier each runner jumps from can have a major influence on how the race plays out. Other factors come into consideration as well, like the track rating. For example, if the track is Heavy, there may be parts of the track that aren’t the best to race on, which can mean starting from an inside or outside barrier has more advantages.

Going through the form guide is usually one of the most important aspects to help you find a winner. You would usually go through pages upon pages of data and stats from previous editions of the race which will help point you in the direction of a winner. With The Quokka, we can’t really do this considering the race has only been running since 2023.

Despite this, we have done our best to provide our loyal readers with some guidance as to what you should be looking for when going through The Quokka form guide. Eventually, there will be patterns that emerge and help point you in the direction of a winner. Check out everything we were able to put together so far below!

You’ll find that runners who perform well in the previous Summer’s Winterbottom Stakes, which is run in Perth at the same distance as The Quokka, will likely be targeting a lot in the field. There is lots of racing happening just before The Quokka in Sydney with The Championships being run. So it pays to check out some of the sprint races taking place there.

You’ll notice that some of the confirmed slot holders will have lead-up runs during Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival before making the trip West. So, pay close attention to how any confirmed slot holders perform beforehand. As well as this, there are a few local lead-up races, like the Roma Cup, which is held two weeks before The Quokka that is worth checking out.

With the track layout of Ascot Racecourse, inside barriers usually have an advantage. Therefore, it could pay to look at those runners who have an inside barrier. So far, we have seen one winner jump from barrier eight (Overpass in 2023) and another from barrier six (Overpass in 2024).

The Quokka is also raced under weight-for-age conditions. So, it could pay to check out how the confirmed runners have performed in the past in these race conditions. There are plenty of weight-for-age races that take place during the Autumn Racing Carnival to look into. In 2024, Overpass won The Quokka carrying 58.5kg on his back.

It will also pay to look at runners who are proven at the 1,200m distance. The Quokka is a sprint race and it will likely require a genuine galloper who has ample experience at the distance. Check each runner’s previous record at the distance, if they have had previous success, they should go on your shortlist!

We aren’t too sure how favourites will go in The Quokka just yet. In 2024, the pre-race favourite Amelia’s Jewel finished a close second to the $6.00 runner (and winner of the race in 2023), Overpass.

The Quokka is an interesting concept, following a similar format as The Everest which sees slot holders choosing their runner. Obviously, each slot holder wants to get the biggest return on their investment, as each slot costs $200K to purchase. This means we are likely to see some quality horses compete in The Quokka each year.

As The Quokka has only been running since 2023, the team at OnlyRacing have made the easy decision to feature all winning The Quokka horses here. As each race is run and won, we will continue to add to this section. Check out all the winning The Quokka horses below:

Overpass - 2023 & 2024

Overpass managed to go back-to-back in The Quokka, winning the first two-ever races. In 2023, Overpass jumped at double-digit odds and in 2024, Overpass was on the third line of better. At the time of writing, Overpass has a career record of 26:8-5-0, which has helped him amass a total of almost $8 million in prize money.

So, you want to bet on The Quokka? Well, you’ll need to know what the odds are first! You could find a really good hot tip for The Quokka, but if the odds are really short, it may not necessarily be worth betting in that market.

You’ll find that all the best horse racing betting apps will open markets for The Quokka well before the race is due to take place. This means you can sort your bets out earlier if you like. Right now, our favourite bookie of them all, PlayUp, hasn’t yet released their odds for the race. We will list the odds for the upcoming race as soon as we can.

But it is important to remember that the odds in all horse racing markets will be constantly changing between when it is released and the time the race will jump. So, if you see a price you like for the market you want to bet on, jump on it while you still can.

It is also a good idea to bet as early as possible for The Quokka. If you bet when the market is listed as “Before Noms” you’ll get your stake back if the runner doesn’t claim a slot in the field for The Quokka. Once the market is listed as “All-In” you won’t have any such luck.

Because you’re already here, why don’t you check out the odds for The Quokka in 2024, taken just a couple of days before the race:

*Odds correct as of 18/04/2024.

Can we really call the section “The Quokka History” for a race that has only been run since 2023? Well, we’re going to do it anyway! Obviously, there isn’t a lot of history in this race, but each year we will add some more information and build up this section. One thing we do know though, there will be a rich history for The Quokka, it will just take a few years!

The Quokka is the most recent slot-based race to be introduced into the Australian racing calendar. The first race to take this format was The Everest in New South Wales, then the All-Star Mile in Victoria. Queensland has The Archer and the King of the Mountain, which are also raced under a similar format.

What makes The Quokka a little different to all the others though, is it forms part of a tricode racing festival. The harness racing version of The Quokka, called The Nullabor, is raced on the weekend and is worth $1 million. Also on the same weekend, we see a $600K Sandgroper greyhound race.

Much like what went down in the first two editions of The Everest, the first two editions of The Quokka was taken out by the same runner. Overpass proved too good in both editions, winning the lion’s share of the prize money. Interestingly, the first two editions of The Quokka also saw Amelia’s Jewel finish in second place!

The Quokka takes place just one week after The Championships in Sydney, which is one of the hottest horse racing carnivals of the year in Australia. If you’d like to learn more about some of the races that take place during Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival, or any other major race in Australia for that matter, you should check out our Group One races list!

Want to know who won The Quokka in 2025? Yeah, we do as well! We don’t know the results just yet but will provide you all the details you’ve been craving once the race has been run and one! We will have a table showing the full finishing order of the field as well as a race replay.

The Quokka in 2024 was once again taken out by Overpass, so also won the inaugural race in 2023. The gelding was on the third line of betting, with Amelia’s Jewel the favourite for the second year in a row. Also for the second year in a row, Amelia’s Jewel finished second! 

Oscar's Fortune rounded out the minor placings, finishing 1.1L off the pace. The race was run in a time of 1:08.88 and there was just 8L that separated the entire field. Can Overpass come back again in 2025 and complete the three-peat? Only time will tell!

See where each runner finished in The Quokka below:

Now is the time to relive all the action that took place in the most recent race. Check out The Quokka race replay below:

The Quokka has only been running since 2023, so there aren’t many winners to display, but we’ve listed them all in the table below:

The Quokka is a new and interesting race that has already gained a lot of interest. If you still have some questions about the race, check out our The Quokka FAQs below: