VRC Oaks facts and figures

VRC OAKS

Group One, $1 million, 2500m, set weights for fillies

HISTORY

* First run in 1861, the same year as the inaugural Melbourne Cup, and won by Palestine.

* Run over 12 furlongs (2400m) until 1972.

* There were only two starters in the race in 1864, 1868, 1870 and 1877.

* Bart Cummings holds the training record with nine winners while Bobbie Lewis holds the jockeys’ record of seven.

* The fastest time in the race was 2:31.20 run by Hollow Bullet in 2004.

NOTABLE WINNERS

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Briseis (1876), Furious (1921), Chiquita (1949), Evening Peal (1955), Light Fingers (1964), Toltrice (1972), Denise’s Joy (1975), Surround (1976), Scomeld (1978), Rose Of Kingston (1981), Research (1988), Slight Chance (1992), Grand Archway (1998), Serenade Rose (2005), Miss Finland (2006), Samantha Miss (2008) and Mosheen (2011)

TALKING POINTS

* If hot favourite Yankee Rose wins, she will mirror the path of Samantha Miss who also finished third in the Cox Plate in the lead up to her 2008 Oaks victory.

* Favourites have a good record in the race winning five times in the past decade including Miss Finland (2006), Samantha Miss (2008), Faint Perfume (2009), Brazillian Pulse (2010) and Kirramosa (2013).

* Barrier two has provided two of the past five winners – Set Square (2014) and Mosheen (2011). Harlow Gold has drawn gate two this year.

* Moqueen is another contender after defeating her male rivals in the Listed Dulcify Quality before finishing fourth in the Group Three Ethereal Stakes.

KEY COMMENTS

“She is very short for a horse that’s never run 2500 metres, but I guess everyone is banking on the fact that she’s a class animal.” – Yankee Rose’s trainer David Vandyke.

“Whatever way I ride her I think she’s clearly got the class edge on her rivals that’s for sure,” Yankee Rose’s jockey Blake Shinn.

“Moqueen is obviously the pick of the two because she has performed at the higher level.” – Trainer Anthony Cummings rates runners Moqueen and Lamma Hilton.