Eagle Farm will host Australia’s headline thoroughbred program again this weekend, and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks is the feature on an impressive nine-race card.
I’ve run the rule over each and every race, and you can find my 2021 Queensland Oaks Day Tips below.
Prince Of Arragon has recorded three wins from as many starts this time and looks the runner to beat again in the first on Queensland Oaks Day.
The More Than Ready gelding cruised home at Kembla Grange when resuming before producing another bullish display at Gosford.
He made a successful transition to Saturday metro company at Doomben a fortnight ago and will probably only be better at Eagle Farm.
Volcanic Rock is a dual acceptor with trainers Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott also eying a run in Sydney, but he would take plenty of beating in The Phoenix.
He won on debut and went to the paddock after finishing midfield in the Inglis Nursery, and he kept all of his best work for late when second behind Overmann when resuming at Rosehill last month.
With improvement and getting out to 1500m, I’m happy to stick with him.
This is a drop in class for Tumbler Ridge and he shapes as a legitimate winning chance in this field.
The Spill The Beans colt needed a few runs to tune up when resuming this time, but charged in to score in a 1600m handicap before running a credible fourth in the Queensland Guineas last time out.
He has been freshened since his run in that race and we can have an each-way play at the price.
The Lightning Handicap looks an ideal race for Varda.
Varda has been a good horse for Godolphin since making her debut, and she has record six wins and three second placings from just fourteen career starts.
She needed the run when fifth in the Listed Hawkesbury Gold Rush first-up, but charged gome to beat a talented field to the line in the Chief De Beers at Doomben a fortnight ago, and will only improve third-up.
This isn’t the strongest ever edition of the Moreton Cup, but I think that it shapes as the perfect target for Splintex.
Splintex hasn’t quite lived up to the Group 1 opinion that trainer Mark Newnham clearly has of him, but he has been a genuinely good horse since debuting, and he won the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint at the conclusion of his three-year-old season most notably.
He won the Hall Mark Stakes in Sydney two back and arrived in Brisbane to finish a length and a half behind Eduardo in the Doomben 10,000.
A repeat of either effort would likely see him winning, and he is my best bet on the program.
Groundswell was disappointing in the BRC Sprint a fortnight ago, but his form prior to that run was excellent, and I’m keen to give him another chance in the Spear Chief Quality.
The Fastnet Rock gelding finished down the order at Flemington when resuming, but responded with consecutive wins, including a Listed race in Adelaide prior to his last start miss.
1500m should be ideal, he looks a horse that will relish racing at Eagle Farm, and he has a class edge over a lot of these rivals.
This is one of the better races on the Queensland Oaks card, but I’m confident that Polly Grey will take plenty of beating in the Magic Millions National Classic (Queensland Sapphire Stakes).
Polly Grey arrived in Australia carrying a bit of hype from her native New Zealand, but it is fair to say that she did not live up to expectations in the spring.
The penny has genuinely dropped this time however, and she has won three of her last four starts, all in black type company, and her only miss came in a stacked JRA Plate that saw her finish close to Doomben Cup winner Zaaki.
She’s rock-hard fit, Nash goes on board, and she can win again.
This is an open edition of the Queensland Oaks and there is a case to be made for several three-year-old fillies.
I’ve put Bargain on top, but I’ll also have something on Charms Star, but you can find my full race preview and complete 2021 Queensland Oaks Tips RIGHT HERE.
I’m going to stick with Kisukano in the Queensland Day Stakes.
Kisukano has been the stable star for Michael Nolan since making her debut, and she was nothing short of outstanding during her two-year-old season.
Despite going somewhat astray earlier in her preparation, she has noticeably improved in her last two starts and enters this race off the back of an impressive win over some good horses at Doomben.
She gets into this race well under the conditions and can win again.