Australasian Oaks Tips & Preview 2023

Looking for Australasian Oaks tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2023 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville.

AUSTRALASIAN OAKS BETTING SNAPSHOT

It is tight at the top in the betting for the Australasian Oaks and it is Arts that is the $6.25 favourite with Be Right ahead of She’s Fit at $6.75 and Jennilala at $7. 

The latter is one of three top fancies from the Maher/Eustace stable and just shades her stablemate, Affaire A Suivre at the $7.50. The local galloper, Party Princess, is at $8.50, while another from the Maher/Eustace camp, Running On Time, is at $10. As Time Goes By heads the rest of the 16-horse field and three emergencies at the $12. 

AUSTRALASIAN OAKS FORM ANALYSIS

Arts comes down from Sydney having run in the Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on Day Two of The Championships. The Edward Cummings-trained galloper was taken back from the wide barrier in that race and looked to be a winning chance with 300m to go before fading on her run. 2000m might suit better and she was a dominant four length winner over that trip in the Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick on a Heavy 8 prior to that. 

One of the key lead ups towards the Australasian Oaks is always the Auraria Stakes (1800m). That was held at Morphettville on April 15 and it was Jennilala that was caught well back and wide early on. 

The daughter of Shalaa kept coming in the straight in what was a very strong performance to win, given the circumstances. She was rising 500m in distance that day after missing out in narrow fashion behind Caste at her start prior. 

Arugamama was also caught wide and was tough as nails, finishing runner-up. Four other runners come out of the Auraria. Anphina was honest in running 4th but might not quite lack the polish to match these. 

Affaire A Suivre could not have been any more impressive on the same day, taking out the Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m), defeating the boys at Listed level. She is on the up after jumping from a Maiden win at Cranbourne prior to that. Barrier 18 is tough but the daughter of Astern does have the Maher/Eustace polish and will be ridden by John Allen. Running On Time was runner-up in that race and will make her own luck up on the speed with Damien Oliver to ride. 

She’s Fit is right in the market and it will be interesting to see if the WA form holds up. She is another that will need luck from the draw and won two on the trot including the WA Oaks (2400m) before running 3rd against the boys in the WATC Derby (2400m). 

Amati brings a bit of X-factor. The Chris Waller filly was unlucky at her most recent start when 8th behind Gringotts at Sandown and I don’t mind that formline. The daughter of Sebring was runner-up behind the exciting Papillon Club prior to that performance at Group 3 level over the 1600m in the Alexandra Stakes. 

As Time Goes By and Party Princess are others in the market. That pair provided the quinella in the Clare Lindop Stakes back on April 1 over the 1600m at Morphettville. Party Princess was the eye catcher after travelling wide without cover and overcoming trouble. 

AUSTRALASIAN OAKS TIPS AND BEST BETS

This is a wide open race and always difficult to know just which fillies are yet to reach their ceiling. Rolling the dice on Affaire A Suivre, despite copping barrier 18. Alot depends on what will happen early on and John Allen will look to get cover without being forced too far back. Running On Time will produce some sort of a tempo and and banking on the fact that she has more to come, which is often the case with the younger horses from the stable.