Looking for early info on this year’s The Damien Oliver betting odds and field? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.
The damien Oliver 2025 Results
The official 2025 The Damien Oliver results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday November 1, 2025.
- #6 Warnie
- #4 Zou Sensation
- #12 Enxuto
Ciaron Maher’s progressive Highland Reel gelding, Warnie ($5), raced out of his skin to improve on a lead-up Group 3 Moonga Stakes second and claim victory in the 2025 The Damien Oliver results on Derby Day. In a terrific ride by the flying Mark Zahra, who had won the previous race aboard Oaks bound Getta Good Feeling in the Wakeful, Warnie came from well back in the field to wind up over the final 300m and wear down the front running Zou Sensation to salute by a half-length.
| 6. Warnie (7) J: Mark Zahra56.5kg 45742T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 4. Zou Sensation (4) J: Ben Allen57.5kg 11461T: L & T Corstens & W Larkin | ||
| 12. Enxuto (3) J: Jye McNeil53kg 18x75T: Robbie Griffiths | ||
| 1. Steparty (11) J: John Allen59kg 5x883T: Paul Preusker | ||
| 2. Payline (9) J: Craig Williams58.5kg x5664T: Chris & Corey Munce | ||
| 3. Media World (6) J: Michael Dee57.5kg 2x315T: Peter Snowden | ||
| 11. St Lawrence (5) J: Beau Mertens54kg 0665xT: Gavin Bedggood | ||
| 7. Holymanz (8) J: Ben Melham56kg 8237xT: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 5. Mighty Ulysses (10) J: Jamie Mott56.5kg 9400xT: Annabel & Rob Archibald | ||
| 8. Regal Zeus (2) J: Daniel Stackhouse56kg 428x5T: John McArdle | ||
| 9. Coeur Volante (1) J: Jamie Melham55kg 890x0T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
Formerly known as the Linlithgow Stakes, The Damien Oliver is a Group 2 sprint run and won at Flemington Racecourse down the ‘Straight Six’ on Victoria Derby Day.
The 1200m showdown takes place on a Saturday in either late October or early November on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and is an open handicap race offer $500,000 in prize money.
First contested in 1868, the event was formerly a weight-for-age race and before 2006 was run on VRC Oaks Day. Since being moved five days earlier, it now serves as a nice lead-up into the Group 1 $3 million Darley Sprint Classic (1200m) – a race now known as the Champions Sprint.
Glamour Puss (2005) was the last galloper to complete the Linlithgow Stakes – VRC Sprint Classic double.
The race has held Group 2 status since 1979 and plenty of good horses have won the Linlithgow Stakes including Phar Lap (1930), Chatham (1931-33), Ajax (1937-38), Sky High (1962), Vain (1969), Mahogany (1996), Fastnet Rock (2004), Illustrious Lad (2016) and Osborne Bulls (2018) who went on to win five consecutive Group 1 races.
The race was renamed ahead of the 2023 edition to The Damien Oliver in honour of retiring champion Australian hoop Damien Oliver.
The 2024 The Damien Oliver form was franked with the winner Another Wil running a next-up second in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. He also returned in the autumn of 2025 to claim the CF Orr Stakes. The runner-up Jimmysstar further franked the form taking out the 2025 Oakleigh Plate and All Aged Stakes at the top level before a third in the 2025 The Everest results!
The Damien Oliver 2025 – Quick Info
- Former Race Names: Linlithgow Stakes, Salinger Stakes, TAB Stakes
- Race Day: Saturday November 1, 2025
- Track Location: Flemington Racecourse
- Track Surface: Turf
- Track Direction: Left-handed
- Race Distance: 1,200 metres
- Weight Conditions: Handicap
- Qualification: Open
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Group 2
- Prize Purse: $500,000
- Inaugural Race: 1868
- 2025 The Damien Oliver Winner: Warnie
the damien oliver Betting 2025
There are many different ways to bet on The Damien Oliver (Linlithgow Stakes), and we have included some of the most popular options below:
| Bet Type | How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s The Damien Oliver |
|---|---|
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s The Damien Oliver. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s The Damien Oliver. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in The Damien Oliver, you will collect both the Win and the Place dividend. If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd you will collect the Place dividend. |
| Quinella Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in any order, within The Damien Oliver, in order to win the Quinella. |
| Exacta Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within The Damien Oliver to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within The Damien Oliver to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within The Damien Oliver to win the First 4. |
| Quadrella Bet (Quaddie) | You must select the winners of four nominated races to win the Quaddie. This means you would have to select three other races apart from The Damien Oliver, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet On The damien oliver in 2025
- Log in at neds.com.au
- Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
- Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
- Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on The Damien Oliver Betting above.
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which Horse Will Win The damien oliver?
The best way to pick which sprinter will win The Damien Oliver in 2025 is to take into account their lead-up form in similar grade/distance races, any past form at the Flemington track and those that may be Group 1 performed dropping in grade.
Additional factors to consider when picking The Damien Oliver winner include:
- Past Performers: Many horses will contest multiple editions of the race and perform well including the recent back-to-back wins by Kemalpasa (2019-20). Kemalpasa also returned in 2021 to run a devastatingly close second to upset winner Justacanta ($17).
- Gilgai Lead-Up: Flemington’s Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) held at the same track and distance earlier in the spring makes a solid lead-up into the event, although no horses have done the double since Belle Du Jour (2001).
The Damien Oliver 2025 Favourites
Favourites in 2025 The Damien Oliver betting include lightly raced five-year-old King Zephyr chasing his seventh win at start number 11, the Ciaron Maher Group 3 Moonga Stakes runner-up Warnie, and last start Listed Weekend Hussler winner Zou Sensation.
The Damien Oliver 2025 Field
The official The Damien Oliver 2025 field of final acceptances is announced the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.
The Damien Oliver 2025 final field is now out featuring a bumper line-up of potential Champions Sprint bound hopefuls including last start Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes winner Zou Sensation and Ciaron Maher’s Group 3 Moonga Stakes runner-up Warnie.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Steparty
J: John Allen
T: Paul Preusker |
35x883 | G | 11 | 59kg | |
|
2. Payline
J: Craig Williams
T: Chris & Corey Munce |
8x5664 | G | 9 | 58.5kg | |
|
3. Media World
J: Michael Dee
T: Peter Snowden |
12x315 | H | 6 | 57.5kg | |
|
4. Zou Sensation
J: Ben Allen
T: L & T Corstens & W Larkin |
111461 | G | 4 | 57.5kg | |
|
5. Mighty Ulysses
J: Jamie Mott
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
59400x | G | 10 | 56.5kg | |
|
6. Warnie
J: Mark Zahra
T: Ciaron Maher |
545742 | G | 7 | 56.5kg | |
|
7. Holymanz
J: Ben Melham
T: Ciaron Maher |
08237x | G | 8 | 56kg | |
|
8. Regal Zeus
J: Daniel Stackhouse
T: John McArdle |
5428x5 | G | 2 | 56kg | |
|
9. Coeur Volante
J: Jamie Melham
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
4890x0 | M | 1 | 55kg | |
| 10. Depth Of Character (10) Scratched: | |||||
|
11. St Lawrence
J: Beau Mertens
T: Gavin Bedggood |
x0665x | G | 5 | 54kg | |
|
12. Enxuto
J: Jye McNeil
T: Robbie Griffiths |
118x75 | G | 3 | 53kg | |
| 13. King Zephyr (7) Scratched: | |||||
| 14. Ndola (12) Scratched: | |||||
the damien oliver 2025 Tips
Favourite: #13 King Zephyr ($2.45 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Bet: #13 King Zephyr to salute for the punters (see above) – BET NOW
Best Roughie: #14 Ndola ($10 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Our Neds’ exclusive 2025 The Damien Oliver tips will be detailed above the week of the race and a full betting preview available on the Neds Blog.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2025 VRC DERBY DAY PREVIEW & TIPS
the damien oliver Race Day 2025
The 2025 The Damien Oliver takes place on Saturday the 1st of November 2025 as part of Victoria Derby Day, which is the first of the famous four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival. The key Derby Day races are the:
- Group 1 $2 million Victoria Derby (2500m),
- Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m),
- Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m),
- Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m),
- Group 3 Begonia Belle Stakes (1100m) – run in 2025 as the Kirin Ichiban Sprint,
- Group 3 Rising Fast Sakes (1200m), and the
- Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m).
the damien oliver 2025 Barrier Draw
The 2025 The Damien Oliver barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and published in our above The Damien Oliver Field section.
the damien oliver 2025 Nominations
2025 The Damien Oliver nominations close at 12:00 PM on the Monday of race week.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x112x030x | ALTIVO (GB) | G | 7 | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | 81 |
| 2 | x70x2660x4 | AMENABLE | G | 6 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | 101 |
| 3 | 6214800×88 | COASTWATCH | G | 7 | Richard & Will Freedman | 99 |
| 4 | x7104890x0 | COEUR VOLANTE (NZ) | M | 5 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 100 |
| 5 | 53112×0308 | DEPTH OF CHARACTER | G | 4 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 96 |
| 6 | 1148×66319 | DISNECK | G | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 94 |
| 7 | 2511118×75 | ENXUTO | G | 5 | Robbie Griffiths | 92 |
| 8 | 31x308237x | HOLYMANZ (NZ) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher | 98 |
| 9 | 46111×4806 | IS IT ME | G | 6 | Daniel Bowman | 97 |
| 10 | x11110x312 | KING ZEPHYR | G | 5 | Grahame Begg | 90 |
| 11 | 36x112x315 | MEDIA WORLD | H | 4 | Peter Snowden | 101 |
| 12 | 740x59400x | MIGHTY ULYSSES (GB) | G | 7 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 99 |
| 13 | 71x7293x11 | NDOLA | G | 4 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 89 |
| 14 | 569x51700x | NICOLINI VITO | G | 8 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 97 |
| 15 | 69398×5664 | PAYLINE | G | 5 | Chris & Corey Munce | 103 |
| 16 | 1x2212x154 | PERSIAN SPIRIT | G | 5 | Symon Wilde | 77 |
| 17 | 0x446x0546 | PONDALOWIE | M | 5 | Emma-Lee & David Browne | 89 |
| 18 | x2115428x5 | REGAL ZEUS | G | 5 | John McArdle | 98 |
| 19 | 1x170x3408 | ROYAL INSIGNIA | H | 4 | Grahame Begg | 88 |
| 20 | 1679x0665x | ST LAWRENCE (NZ) | G | 7 | Gavin Bedggood | 94 |
| 21 | x110x90x23 | STAR PATROL | G | 7 | Clinton McDonald | 103 |
| 22 | 332235×883 | STEPARTY | G | 5 | Paul Preusker | 104 |
| 23 | 16x1721x23 | SUNSHINEINMYPOCKET (NZ) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 84 |
| 24 | 111×4154 | VINROCK | C | 3 | Matt Laurie | 102 |
| 25 | 2×43545742 | WARNIE (IRE) | G | 5 | Ciaron Maher | 99 |
| 26 | 70×5111461 | ZOU SENSATION | G | 6 | Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin | 101 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
the damien Oliver 2025 Weights
Open Handicap conditions apply to this race. Final 2025 The Damien Oliver weights will be announced by 4:00 PM on the Monday of race week with weights on the final acceptances to be published in our above The Damien Oliver Field section.
2025 The Damien Oliver Topweight:
- #1 Steparty (59kg)
the damien oliver 2025 Acceptances
2025 The Damien Oliver final acceptances must be declared before 9:30 AM on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in our above The Damien Oliver Field section.
the damien oliver 2025 Jockeys
The final riders’ announcement is at 1:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week and the official 2025 The Damien Oliver jockeys will be published in our above The Damien Oliver Field section.
the damien oliver Scratchings 2025
2025 The Damien Oliver scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Saturday the 1st of November 2025.
the damien oliver Prize Money 2025
The 2025 The Damien Oliver prize purse is worth $500,000 in total, distributed from places first through to eighth.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $300,000 |
| 2nd | $90,000 |
| 3rd | $45,000 |
| 4th | $22,500 |
| 5th | $12,500 |
| 6th | $10,000 |
| 7th | $10,000 |
| 8th | $10,000 |
the damien oliver Race Number 2025
The 2025 The Damien Oliver race number is scheduled as Flemington Race 5 at 3:00pm (AEDT) on Saturday the 1st of November 2025. There are nine races in total that day at Flemington Racecourse.
the damien oliver 2025 Form Guide
The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2025 The Damien Oliver Form Guide following final acceptances.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 THE DAMIEN OLIVER FORM GUIDE
the damien oliver Live 2025
You can watch or listen to the 2025 The Damien Oliver live, across the following mediums.
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
Radio: Radio Sport National
Free to air television: Channel 9
Streaming: Racing.com
Mobile: Neds App
Linlithgow Stakes / the damien oliver Winners
Winners of the race now run as The Damien Oliver going back to 2000 displayed in the table below.
| YEAR | WINNER | 2ND | 3RD | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Warnie | Zou Sensation | Enxuto | 1:21.62 |
| 2024 | Another Wil | Jimmysstar | Steparty | 1:22.96 |
| 2023 | Cause For Concern | Bandersnatch | Munhamek | 1:22.35 |
| 2022 | Old Flame | Poland | Ironclad | 1:23.60 |
| 2021 | Justacanta | Kemalpasa | Isaurian | 1:10.0 |
| 2020 | Kemalpasa | Order Of Command | Bold Star | 1:10.4 |
| 2019 | Kemalpasa | Order Of Command | Zoutori | 1:10.0 |
| 2018 | Osborne Bulls | Bons Away | Runson | 1:09:8 |
| 2017 | Rich Charm | Missrock | The Monstar | 1:08.9 |
| 2016 | Illustrious Lad | Counterattack | Southern Legend | 1:08.3 |
| 2015 | Eclair Choice | Hot Snitzel | Dothraki | 1:09.3 |
| 2014 | Deep Field | Driefontein | In Cahoots | 1:11.0 |
| 2013 | Fontelina | Spirit Of Boom | Rarefied | 1:09.0 |
| 2012 | Fontelina | Spirit Of Boom | Tiger Tees | 1:08.8 |
| 2011 | Sister Madly | Rarefied | Temple Of Boom | 1:10.4 |
| 2010 | Whitefriars | Beaded | Chasm | 1:11.1 |
| 2009 | Eagle Falls | Turffontein | Absolutelyfabulous | 1:08.9 |
| 2008 | Hot Danish | Fighting Fund | Sunburnt Land | 1:10.1 |
| 2007 | Swick | Great is Great | Typhoon Zed | 1:08.9 |
| 2006 | Dance Hero | Shadoways | Miss Andretti | 1:08.6 |
| 2005 | Glamour Puss | Barely A Moment | Cape Of Good Hope | 1:08.9 |
| 2004 | Takeover Target | Recurring | St Basil | 1:08.2 |
| 2003 | Ancient Song | Into The Night | Blessum | 1:11.0 |
| 2002 | Rubitano | Intelligent Star | Cosmic Strike | 1:07.1 |
| 2001 | Sudurka | Hire | Camena | 1:08.4 |
| 2000 | Easy Rocking | Umrum | Tilt The Scales | 1:10.0 |
How do I bet on the 2025 The Damien Oliver?
Log in at neds.com.au
Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on The Damien Oliver Betting.
Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which horse will win the 2025 The Damien Oliver?
The best way to pick which sprinter will win The Damien Oliver in 2025 is to take into account their lead-up form in similar grade/distance races, any past form at the Flemington track and those that may be Group 1 performed dropping in grade.
Additional factors to consider when picking The Damien Oliver winner include:
Past Performers: Many horses will contest multiple editions of the race and perform well including the recent back-to-back wins by Kemalpasa (2019-20). Kemalpasa also returned in 2021 to run a devastatingly close second to upset winner Justacanta ($17).
Gilgai Lead-Up: Flemington's Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) held at the same track and distance earlier in the spring makes a solid lead-up into the event, although no horses have done the double since Belle Du Jour (2001).