Oakleigh Plate
The Oakleigh Plate is a Group 1 race for open class horses and is the middle peg of the Victorian Autumn Sprint Triple Crown usually run over 1100m at Caulfield.
First run in 1884, the Oakleigh Plate was first won by Malua.
The Oakleigh Plate is a handicap run on the same day as the G1 Blue Diamond and the G1 Futurity Stakes.
It was run at Sandown in 1996, when won by Drum, due to the reconstruction of Caulfield. Similarly it was held at Sandown in 2023 due to track renovations.
The Oakleigh Plate follows the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes run the week before and leads into the Newmarket Handicap before the sprinters head to Sydney for the TJ Smith Stakes.
The Lightning Stakes/Oakleigh Plate double has been done by the likes of Fastnet Rock (2005) Schillaci (1992), Placid Ark (1987) and Dual Choice (1971).
The Oakleigh Plate/Newmarket Hcp double has been done in recent years by the likes of Lankan Rupee (2014), Weekend Hussler (2008), Schillaci (1992) and Placid Ark (1987).
It was worth $750,000 in 2024.
Fillies and mares have a top record such as Marabi, Celebrity Queen, Pippie, Booker, Sheidel, Shamal Wind, Mrs Onassis, Reactive, River Dove and Miss Kournikova since 2000.
2020 was the first time in Australian racing history that two female jockeys ran the quinella in a G1 (Linda Meech & Jamie Kah).
The running in 2021 was notable as the first Dead Heat in a G1 in Australia for many, many years as Celebrity Queen and Portland Sky shared the spoils.
Three year olds used to win the Oakleigh Plate for fun however Portland Sky in 2021 was the first since Starspangledbanner in 2010.
Other notable winners of the Oakleigh Plate include Malua, Wakeful, Heroic, Aurie's Star, San Domenico, Time And Tide, Dual Choice, Tontonan, Zephyr Bay, Mistress Anne, Placid Ark, Snippets, With Me, Schillaci, Fastnet Rock, Snitzel, Weekend Hussler, Starspangledbanner, Lankan Rupee, Russian Revolution and Pippie.
The 2024 Oakleigh Plate was won by Queman from Hypothetical and Mornington Glory.