2019 VRC Oaks: A Race In Four

• Speed map and race preview from pro punter Trevor Lawson
• In a weak field, Trev is keen to back one of the favourites

VRC Oaks Speed Map

The pace is even here. Apicus will lead and Gamay should get a good run on the pace. I think Miami Bound will go forward again and sit forward of midfield.

Moonlight Maid will go back, and Vegas Jewel is drawn the outside and will probably have to go back. So Miami Bound will have one real danger in front in Gamay, and the other two behind.

I’ve come off Vegas Jewell a bit due to the barrier – it looks like a real task from there.

VRC Oaks Contenders

This is a weak field and having done the form – and the market agrees, of course – there’s only really four contenders in the race.

MIAMI BOUND (1) (trained by Danny O’Brien, ridden by Damien Oliver) is in barrier 8 and the deserved favourite. She made good ground two starts back when unsuited in the Norman Robinson, and then was strong to the line in the Wakeful.

MOONLIGHT MAID (2) (Mitchell Freedman, Ben Melham) is out in barrier 11. She won the Edward Manifold, beating Miami Bound, then was second behind Sol Star in the AAMI Vase, where she peaked on her run prior to the line.

best of luck to the @Freedmanmitch team with MOONLIGHT MAID in the VRC Oaks pic.twitter.com/44wtW9VgMN

— Kristen Manning (@RacingPedigrees) November 6, 2019

GAMAY (3) (Archie Alexander, Ryan Moore) has drawn the inside gate and should get a good run up on the pace from there. She ran well two starts ago over 1800m at Flemington, sitting wide throughout. She also put in a solid effort in the Ethereal, narrowing defeating Vegas Jewel.

VEGAS JEWEL (4) (Mark Kavanagh, Jordan Childs) is all the way out in barrier 15. She’s recently faced a few here and really held her own: she was narrowly beaten by Gamay in the Ethereal, and then improved her rating last start when narrowly beaten by Miami Bound in the Wakeful. The slight concern is both of those will get greater starts than her here than they have in the past, due to the barrier.

🐴 Kennedy Oaks
Miami Bound @ $3.3
Moonlight Maid @ $4.0
Vegas Jewel @ $4.6
Gamay @ $6.0
Beauty Bolt @ $14.0
Amazing Peace @ $21.0
Stick 'em Up @ $31.0
Foxborough @ $31.0
Ocean Miss @ $34.0
Never Listen @ $34.0
Silent Sovereign @ $41.0https://t.co/Gy2ui8GXPa

— TopSport (@TopSport_com_au) November 6, 2019

I’ve liked the performances of Vegas Jewel and was quite keen on her before the barrier draw. But being so far out, they really don’t have any choice but to go back and from there she’s giving some good horses a decent head start.

That puts Miami Bound on top for me. She’ll get a great run just behind the speed and Oliver is the right man to have in the saddle. I think she’ll make it a second big win for the week for Danny O’Brien, though I don’t have the others too far behind. Miami Bound looks a decent bet at the moment too, and hopefully gets out a touch more before race time.