Queensland Oaks 2024 Horse Racing Tips 8/6/24

The QLD Carnival is reaching boiling point with the Stradbroke Handicap only one week away.

The red-hot action continues this weekend with the Group 1 Queensland Oaks, taking centre stage for the 3YO fillies over 2200m.

There will be plenty of attention on how the Eagle Farm track plays after the mess that was Derby Day.

Any horses that were trapped along the inside part of the track were no chance of winning and it saw some disgusting margins highlighted by Warmongers 10L romp.

However, the good news, the track for this Saturday is currently rated a Soft 5 and with clear sunny days ahead we could see a good 4 come raceday.

With a full field of 18 set this is set to be a ripper.

In a wide-open field there is value aplenty and we have found some cracking bets for you to lock onto.

 

 

Queensland Oaks Tips & Best Bets from John Steinmetz

Speed Map

This was a very tricky speed map to assess with a genuine lack of speed set to be injected into the event early.

Amazonian Lass (3) and Socks Nation (7) will push forward with their great barrier manners.

Behind them there isn’t much tempo in this race, this will see Kind Words (14), Scarlet Oak (4) and Our Gold Hope (12) use their decent draws will settle more forward in the race than they normally would.

Look for Firestorm (18), Unique Ambition (16), Moonlight Magic (5) and Concello (17) to to fight out for midfield positions with plenty of jostling in the cramped field.

Just off midfield will sit Gentileschi (15), Oceans of Energy (13), Good Banter (10) and Ahuriri (9).

The horses I have a keen interest in seeing their tactics are Miss Joelene (8), Callistemon (19), Molly Bloom (1), Mollynickers (6) and Mare of Mt Buller (11) who have all pushed forward in races at sometime in their career.

Will they be the runners to throw a spanner in the works?

 

The Favourite

Scarlet Oak ($3.60) is the clear favourite, followed by Molly Bloom ($5), Ahuriri ($5.5) and Mare of Mt Buller ($9) the only others in single digits.

Chris Waller and James McDonald are combining yet another Group 1 charge, with Scarlet Oak primed for this race.

She has proved herself at 1400m, 1600m and 2000m and has given every indication the exact 200m won't be an issue.

In fact, a step up in distance is just what the doctor ordered with her last start indicating that she might want further.

Already a group 2 winner, the writing is on the wall.

 

 

Check out the last start win of Scarlet Oak in the The Roses

 

Tips

I’m going with Scarlet Oak.

Quite a fitting fact is that star hoop James McDonald rode his first ever Group 1 winner in the Queensland Oaks as an apprentice.

That runners name was Scarlett Lady. 

Fast forward 11 years and he’s the favourite on Scarlet Oak and is looking for Group 1 win number 98.

As favourite she is undefeated, and I found her best run was her 2^nd to Konasana in the James H B Carr stakes.

Nothing went her way on that occasion, being bumped out of the gate and she still managed to hit the line hard when it mattered most.

This is an indication of a horse with a real will to win.

A proven NZ filly that will be a star one day, this is step one.

 

 

Next I’ve gone with Miss Joelene.

Fighting on home turf against the raiders from down south, she has had some frustrating runs after a first up win at Doomben.

She just missed the dive against Scarlet Oak at massive odds and she has all the fitness in the world leading up to this race.

She’s currently sitting at $18, but I'm expecting a market firm come race day.

Her closing splits has been strong and with the pool that is the inside of the straight, she should get a peach of a run down the outside.

The question will be if she is good enough.

Its good to see James Orman retain the ride, and it would be a dream come true for a QLD/QLD horse/jockey combination to take out the Oaks.

 

Molly Bloom should be about the money in this one.

A group one proven winner, the quote of $5.50 is massive overs.

There has been some questions over whether she can step up to this distance, but a nice quiet run last start, falling to Scarlet Oak shows promising signs of fitness.

With heaps of race experience on her side, she should be strong from the nice draw.

She lands arguably the most in form jockey Blake Shinn and will have been set for this race.

 

Finally, I’ve gone with Amazonian Lass.

A strong win at the sunshine coast couldn’t be reproduced, with a poor 13^th/16 last start.

However, she rarely has a bad run and last prep she turned a last start 12^th into a Group 2 win.

She has already firmed from $21 into $15 and I can see her making them chase her down in this one.

 

1^st – Scarlet Oak

2^nd – Miss Joelene

3^rd – Molly Bloom

4^th – Amazonian Lass

Tip – Win bet on Scarlet Oak and an each-way bet on Miss Joelene.

 

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