The Oakleigh Plate 2018 nominations are now out for Saturday’s feature sprint at Caulfield Racecourse and the early entries and markets on the short-distance clash are led by the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Russian Revolution.

Short-distance specialist Russian Revolution heads the 2018 Oakleigh Plate nominations for Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Day on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A four-year-old son of Snitzel, Russian Revolution is one of 23 sprinters making up the official nominations for this year’s Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate (1100m) that runs as one of three elite levels on the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day card.

Russian Revolution is the sole entry for Team Snowden who are after their first win in the handicap clash.

A winner of just shy of a million dollars ($982,225), Russian Revolution is undefeated over the Oakleigh Plate distance with three 1100m wins to date including his Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) victory in the mud last March at Rosehill over subsequent The Everest winning stablemate Redzel.

Also a first-up flyer, the early Oakleigh Plate favourite is unbeaten fresh (3:3-0-0) and races for the first time since his failed run at Moonee Valley when 12^th of 13 runners behind She Will Reign in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m).

Russian Revolution has trialled well twice since and sits top of the pre-field Oakleigh Plate odds at $4.50 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Second favourite in the mix at $5.50 is the gun Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra-trained filly Booker who is a triple nominee across the card on Saturday.

Also nominated for the Group 1 $500,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) and Group 2 $200,000 Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m), the three-year-old daughter of Written Tycoon comes off a first-up win by one and a half-lengths at Caulfield in the Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m).

She is a two-time Group winner at the track and if accepted into the Oakleigh Plate field, will be out to break a drought for the three-year-olds with Starspangledbanner (2010) the last of the age group to salute.

Ellerton & Zahra have a bumper five Oakleigh Plate nominated horses in total with eight-year-old Flamberge, coming off a second in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) from February 10, the other standout.

Along with Booker, the other two three-year-old fillies nominated for an Oakleigh Plate bid this autumn are Catchy who saluted in the Blue Diamond Stakes on this day 12 months ago and She Will Reign.

The Gary Portelli-trained Manhattan Rain three-year-old She Will Reign is a dual Group 1 winner having won last year’s Golden Slipper Stakes as well as the Moir Stakes.

She kicked off her campaign with a credible Warwick Farm success in the Inglis Sprint (1100m) on February 10 and pays $6 in futures Oakleigh Plate betting to get the job done again this weekend.

Other standout Oakleigh Plate nominees include the ‘Grey Flash’ Chautauqua, Caulfield specialist Snitty Kitty and Lindsay Park’s reigning champion Sheidel after back-to-back wins in the race for the first time since Dual Choice (1971-72).

Check out the official Oakleigh Plate 2018 nominations below, the final field and updated Group 1 racing odds from Ladbrokes.com.au out on Wednesday.

2018 Oakleigh Plate Nominations

Caulfield Racecourse – 24/02/2018