Best Bets
Lycurgus will take winning form into his run at Sandown this afternoon and will be hard to hold out under the conditions of this race. A winner of the VRC St Leger (2500m) as a three-year-old, the Star Witness gelding mustered a big turn of foot to easily account for a field over this course and distance last time out and he’ll enjoy a drop in the weights from that run.
Zousain ran fourth in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes and sixth in the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes in autumn, but arrived in Brisbane for an impressive and dominant win in the Group 2 Champagne Classic (1200m) a fortnight ago and will meet several of the same horses in this race. The rise in trip should suit and he can find a good position in transit just behind the pace from barrier 5, before calling on his big turn of foot.
Youngstar stormed home to win the Group 2 Roses (2000m) at Doomben a fortnight ago and if she produces a similar effort, will be extremely hard to beat in the Queensland Oaks. The daughter of High Chaparral absolutely dominated a pair of races over 1500m and 1885m at Hawkesbury and Newcastle respectively before arriving in Brisbane and she is primed for a big run this afternoon.
Best Each-Way Bet
Foxplay is a Group 1 winner and on class alone, she can find herself in the first three of the Glenlogan Park Stakes. The daughter of Foxwedge did not find her best form through the recent Autumn Carnival, but she is capable of producing a big performance first-up and has been freshened leading into this race. Kerrin McEvoy will find a position close to the pace from gate 3 and she is over the odds at her current price.