VRC Oaks Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025

The VRC Oaks is one of the most historic Group 1 races on the Victorian racing calendar. Also known as the Crown Oaks due to sponsorship, is worth a whopping $1 million. Therefore, we will see many competitors making their way to Flemington Racecourse, one of the top tracks in the country, to fight for the right to call themselves a VRC Oaks winner.

VRC Oaks is also known as Ladies Day at Flemington Racecourse and the Fashions on the Field event always draws a sizable crowd away from the action on the track. The first edition of the VRC Oaks was all the way back in 1861 when won by Palestine.

It is common knowledge at this point that Racing Victoria has lost their marbles in trying to keep up with the great prize money increases of Racing NSW, Queensland Racing and even the growing South Australian horse racing market. 

Racing Victoria is misunderstanding the value of the VRC Oaks, in addition to an obvious lack of comprehension towards their greatest source of revenue, the punters. Racing Victoria is undermining the VRC Oaks due to not upgrading the prize money in recent years. 

In comparison, Racing NSW pledged a $20 million increase in prize money, as well as the new feature races being offered to rival Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival. It’s an interesting move by Racing Victoria, but we will watch closely to see if they increase the prize money of this race or any races in the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

The VRC Oaks takes place each year on the Thursday after the Melbourne Cup and is also raced at Flemington Racecourse. There is more racing that takes place the same week, on Saturday, which includes the likes of the Champions Stakes, the Champions Sprint and the Champions Mile, all raced at Flemington Racecourse.

Our VRC Oaks page will cover all the important information, facts and history of the great race so that you, the Australian horse racing enthusiast, will be best prepared for action on race day. We have all the horse racing betting information you need including tips and odds details.

Before we get into our horse racing tips, we wanted to showcase the prize money of the VRC Oaks and how it is split between the top finishers. Here’s the details:

Each year, our experts dig in and try to find you a winner in their VRC Oaks tips. Our horse racing tips don’t just cover the VRC Oaks though, we’ve got tips for all the key races on the Australian calendar along with Flemington tips to keep you going when there aren’t any key races happening.

Our experts are waiting until race week, when the final field is confirmed before providing their VRC Oaks tips. When the final field is confirmed, you know the worker bees and OnlyRacing will be on the case, putting together their best bet, next best and best roughie for the VRC Oaks.

Our 2025 VRC Oaks tips aren’t available just yet, but you can check out our tips from the race in 2024 here:

VRC Oaks Best Bet - Harlem Queen

It wouldn’t be a 2024 Spring Racing Carnival Group 1 race if it wasn’t a tight tussle at the pointy end of the market! At this stage, we have three out of the 14 runners listed with odds of $5.50 or less, thanks to PlayUp. I really think the market has it right, but I can’t go past Harlem Queen as my best bet, who is currently paying $5.50 for the win.

I thought the filly was a little unlucky when finishing fourth in the Spring Champion Stakes last time out. She was wide without cover and then held up at a critical time for good measure. Before that run, she finished second in the Flight Stakes and from the looks of her, she’ll love the Flemington straight. She’ll be within striking distance in the closing stages.

VRC Oaks Next Best - Treasurethe Moment

Treasurethe Moment comes into the 2024 VRC Oaks as the favourite, with odds of $3.20 currently available for the filly. It’s easy to see why she comes into this one as the favourite, she contested the Wakeful Stakes, which is one of the ideal lead-ups for this race and won by 1.8L. She beat Powers Of Opal in that one, who is currently on the second line of betting.

It’s not just that run last time out that impressed me, she comes into the VRC Oaks on a three-race winning streak. Her turn of foot is what I think will likely set her apart here and she was strong through the line in the Wakeful Stakes, so the 2,500m that she’ll get here should be no problem. A class horse that can make her own luck.

VRC Oaks Best Roughie - Femminile

For my value play, I’ll be putting my money on Femminile. Femminile is currently going around with odds of $18 and while it would take a massive effort for her to go on and finish top three, I reckon she’s the most likely out of the rest of the field. She wasn’t too far off the pace last time out in the Ethereal Stakes, where she finished third.

It’s pretty clear that she has been improving with each run so far this prep and she comes into this one fourth-up. Yes, this is another step up from the quality of races she’s been running in so far, but I think she’ll be happy to continue to be up against her own sex like she was in the Ethereal Stakes last time out. 

Before getting into some of the betting markets that are available for the VRC Oaks, be sure to look through our in-depth reviews on Australian betting sites on our reviews page. Here, you can learn more about our favourite, most trustworthy Australian bookies.

We include heaps of information on all the top bookies in Australia and focus on the services they can provide to you. We also look at ways they stand out in what has become one of the most saturated markets in Australia. We’ve got reviews on bookies like Betfocus, Bet365 and Volcanobet.

If you are an enthusiastic horse racing lover like us all, then betting on the VRC Oaks is highly likely. There will be a large variety of markets available to wager on during the Spring Racing Carnival in Victoria, with certain horse racing betting apps offering a comprehensive selection of Group 1 racing betting options. 

To cover the full meet, our suggestion would be to place your bets on a variety of markets throughout the meet at Flemington Racecourse. We will likely be betting on a bunch of Fixed Win/ Place odd singles for the majority of the races. Plus some exotics like a Quinella, Trifecta and First Four on each of the bigger races.

To compete for a share of the pooled funds in that market, there is also the option of placing bets on the early and regular Quaddie markets with one of the bookies previously mentioned (which includes both established and new betting sites). 

It’s a good idea to shop around as well, with the VRC Oaks Day being so popular, there are likely to be many betting sites bonuses floating around. You’ll also find that different bookies may offer different odds for the same runners, so there’s an easy way to get more bang for your buck.

The 2025 VRC Oaks field is yet to be determined. While we don’t know which runners will be gearing up for the VRC Oaks, if history is anything to go by, we will see a stellar field. The final field will be confirmed during race week and at that time we will bring you all the details you’ve been looking for. 

If you can’t wait until race week to see which runners are going to line up, you should check out the odds. Many online bookies will open futures markets, which will give you an indication of the runners who may be targeting the VRC Oaks (i.e. the ones with the shorter odds). If the odds are available, you’ll find them in our “Odds” section below.

Seeing that you’re already here, why don’t you take a look and see which runners took part in the VRC Oaks in 2024:

For the VRC Oaks in 2024, we saw a field of 14 runners confirmed, with no emergencies listed either. So, if there were any pre-race scratchings the field size would be cut. However, we didn’t end up seeing any pre-race scratchings, so all 14 original runners took their place in the starting barriers.

Scratchings happen quite regularly in horse racing, even in races like the VRC Oaks, where there is a lot of prize money on offer. At any time from when the field is announced to just seconds before the race, scratchings can occur. If you’ve placed a bet on a runner that ends up being scratched, you’ll be pleased to know that you will get your stake back.

When it comes to the final field, something else you should look into as well is the barrier draw. Flemington Racecourse is quite a unique track and over the years in the VRC Oaks, we have seen that certain barriers have been more successful than others. On top of this, some runners have a race style that suits an inside or wider barrier.

The VRC Oaks has a long and proud history, which means there are plenty of winners and data from previous editions to go through. All this data means that, over the years, patterns have emerged. These patterns are incredibly useful as they could help point you in the direction of the next winner.

This is why many look into the VRC Oaks form guide before placing any bets. If you want to bet with your head and not your heart, then you’ve come to the right place. The team at OnlyRacing have sifted through all the data and found some key form indicators that you should be aware of before betting.

The first thing you should look at are the ideal lead-up races and the good news (or bad, depending on how you look at it!) is that there are plenty to choose from. Some of the key lead-up races include; the Jim Moloney Stakes (Listed), the Edward Manifold Stakes (Listed), the Thousand Guineas Prelude (Group 2), the Wakeful Stakes (Group 2) and the Ethereal Stakes (Group 3).

Out of all those lead-up races, the one that probably holds the most weight is the Wakeful Stakes. Since 1984, we have seen 27 winners come from the VRC Oaks. On top of this, since 1861 we have seen 39 fillies complete the Wakeful Stakes - VRC Oaks double, including Treasurethe Moment in 2024.

In more recent times, however, the Wakeful Stakes hasn’t necessarily been the most popular lead-up race. In the last 18 editions of the VRC Oaks, nine winners haven’t come from the Wakeful Stakes. Instead, the Ethereal Stakes is becoming increasingly popular and we’ve seen three winners come from this race since 2006.

It’s not just the lead-up race that you should look into, but also the form of each runner in their lead-up race. Since 2009, we have seen 10 VRC Oaks winners also win their lead-up race. Winning form is good form, so make sure you check to see how successful each runner has been in their prep.

When looking into barriers, out of the last 41 winners, 10 jumped from a double-digit gate and when looking at just from 2006, there have been four. This supports the notion of an inside barrier and you should consider the barrier draw, looking at where the runner you are betting on will jump from.

It’s been a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to the odds of the winner. Since 2003, we’ve seen 16 winners jump with odds of $6.50 or less and this includes 12 favourites. One major exception was in 2016 when Lasqueti Spirit won with odds of $101.

Over the years, we’ve seen several high-quality horses compete and win the VRC Oaks. Horses that have gone on to accomplish a lot in their respective careers. There are so many VRC Oaks horses that we could feature here in this section, but we only have room for a handful of them.

This means we’ve had to make some tough decisions on which horses get a spot in this section and which ones don’t. Remember, this is our personal opinion, so hopefully, you agree with the decisions we’ve made! We will go through each horse’s career highlights and achievements below.

Light Fingers - 1964

Light Fingers had a very successful career which included a win in the VRC Oaks in 1964. She won the biggest race of them all, the Melbourne Cup the following year and had a career record of 33:15-8-5. She now has a Group 2 race named in her honour, the Light Fingers Stakes.

Surround - 1976

Surround, with a career record of 28:17-2-2, was victorious in the 1976 VRC Oaks. She has a Group 1 race named in her honour, the Surround Stakes and throughout her career, she won races like the Cox Plate, the Caulfield Guineas and the Queensland Oaks. If you want to learn more about any of these races, check out our Group One races list.

Rose Of Kingston - 1981

The 1982 Australian Horse of the Year, Rose Of Kingston won the VRC Oaks the year prior, in 1981. Some of the other Group 1 races she won throughout her career included; the Champagne Stakes, the Coolmore Stud Stakes and the Australian Derby. All these victories helped her amass a total of $591,660 in career prize money.

Research - 1988

Research, who won the 1988 VRC Oaks, was also named the 1989 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year. She had a Group 2 named after her, the Research Stakes (which is now known as the Golden Pendant). She finished her career with a record of 31: 9-5-2 and almost $2 million in prize money.

Miss Finland - 2006

Miss Finland was a very successful racehorse, especially as a 2YO and 3YO, winning Australian Champion Two-Year-Old in 2006 and then Australian Champion Three-Year-Old in 2007. In 2006, she also won the VRC Oaks and some of the other races she won throughout her career included; the Golden Slipper, the Thousand Guineas and the Memsie Stakes.

Before you place any bets, one of the most important things to look into is the odds. The VRC Oaks odds will tell you which runners are currently more favoured in the market. It is important to remember that the odds are a fickle thing and will be constantly changing from the time the market opens.

You also may notice that different bookies will have different odds for the same runner. Weird, we know, but bookies all have different algorithms they use to produce the odds, so it’s worth having multiple accounts with various bookies so you can take advantage of any discrepancies with the odds. 

During race week, you’ll find the most horse racing markets open. Our favourite bookie, PlayUp, is yet to release their market for the VRC Oaks. It shouldn’t be too long though and during race week, you’ll notice heaps more markets open up, including bets on the more exotic side of life.

A good time to place your bets is when the Fixed Win/ Place market is listed as “Before Noms”, which is usually weeks or even months out from the event. Betting so far out from the event usually means you’ll find better odds for runners, especially if you compare it to betting on the day of the race.

We will bring you the VRC Oaks odds when we can, but in the meantime, you can check out where each of the runners in the 2024 VRC Oaks stacked up:

*Odds correct as of 06/11/2024.

The history of the VRC Oaks lies in over 150 iterations of almost the exact same race! The name, the VRC Oaks was a standalone race name, the namesake of the Victorian Racing Club that birthed it at Flemington Racecourse in 1861. The VRC Oaks takes place during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, one of the biggest horse racing carnivals of the year.

From 1861 to 2006 this remained a constant, 145 VRC Oaks were run under the same name. In 2007, this changed when Crown sponsored the event for the next decade. From 2017 however, Kennedy stepped into the picture and the race became known as the Kennedy Oaks. Nowadays, the Crown has sponsorship and the Crown Oaks is wholly interchangeable with the VRC Oaks.

In terms of distance, this too has remained nearly identical since the 1861 edition. The first 110 editions of the race were 1.5-mile races or the equivalent of 2,400 metres. From 1973 onwards, the VRC Oaks has been run at a distance of 2,500 metres.

Obviously, with a race that has been running since 1861, there have been some high-quality horses that have managed to win the race over the years. This includes the likes of Research, the 1988 VRC Oaks champion, who also completed the 1989 Australian Oaks - Australian Derby double!

In terms of the most successful trainers, that title goes to Bart Cummings, who has won the VRC Oaks on nine separate occasions. Bobby Lewis is the most successful jockey in the VRC Oaks, winning the race seven times. Now, Damien Oliver has joined Lewis, after winning the race in 2021.

Looking to relive all the action from the most recent VRC Oaks? Well, you’ve come to the right place as we’ve got all the VRC Oaks results information you need. No matter if you’re trying to find out where your favourite runner finished or you want to watch the entire race again, this is the place to be.

In 2024, the VRC Oaks was won by the pre-race favourite, Treasurethe Moment. The Matt Laurie filly had to overcome a wide barrier and ended up finishing 1.3L ahead of Powers Of Opal, who was on the second line of betting for the race. 

Roughie Hurry Curry was the one to fill in the final minor placing, 2.8L off the pace. In the end, the 2024 VRC Oaks was run in a time of 2:39.11 and there was a total of 33.1L that split the first and last runners across the finishing line.

Here’s the finishing order of the entire VRC Oaks field:

As promised, we have a full VRC Oaks race replay, so you can watch as the race unfolded. Here’s the race replay:

We’ve seen some of the best-even horses win the VRC Oaks and while we couldn’t feature them all in our “Horses” section above, we’ve put together this table to showcase all the recent winners of the race. All the recent VRC Oaks winners include:

With a race as prominent as the VRC Oaks, it’s only natural that people have questions about it. We’ve gone through and found the most common questions people have about the race and answered them in our VRC Oaks FAQs section here: