The 2018 Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate is one of the key support acts on Blue Diamond Stakes Day this weekend, a comprehensive form guide analysis and betting preview for the sprint feature found below.

History is against Sheidel as the defending Oakleigh Plate winner chasing back-to-back wins in the Ladbrokes sponsored sprint. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Running as Caulfield Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEDT), this season’s Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate (1100m) features a capacity line-up and it is Peter & Paul Snowden’s short-distance specialist Russian Revolution leading the way in betting.

The latest Oakleigh Plate odds at Ladbrokes.com.au list last autumn’s The Galaxy winner as the $4.80 top fancy to make it four-from-four over the 1100m and also retain his undefeated first-up record.

The dangers in Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate betting shape-up as the trio of three-year-old fillies in the mix that are out to be the first of their age and gender to win since Miss Kournikova (2001).

Golden Slipper winner last autumn, the Gary Portelli-trained She Will Reign won first-up in Sydney and remains the $6.50 second favourite for this despite her wide barrier 17 – into 15 with emergencies out.

Catchy ($9) and Booker ($9.50) are the other two three-year-old fillies and they both get in on the 51.5kg rains minimum so shape up as genuine dangers at the weights.

To help uncover the value in the markets below we go over the full Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate 2018 form guide and betting statistics.

2018 Oakleigh Plate Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Oakleigh Plate winner was the Lindsay Park-trained mare Sheidel (2017) who won the race first-up from barrier 3 (of 17) carrying 53kg to victory as an $8 shot with Joao Moreira in the saddle
• #3 Sheidel ($20) is back chasing successive Oakleigh Plate victories for the first time since Dual Choice (1971-72)
• Her co-trainer David Hayes also won the race back in 2011 with Eagle Falls and along with the reigning champion the stable saddle-up two other chances with #6 Fuhryk ($14) and #17 Catchy ($9)
• #1 Flamberge is the other previous Oakleigh Plate winner in the mix having won the race back in 2016 carrying 58kg and he is the 57kg top weight this year
• The other previous Oakleigh Plate winning trainers with a starter in the 2018 field are Mathew Ellerton who chases a third with four chances he prepares in partnership with Simon Zahra: #1 Flamberge ($16), #10 Sword Of Light ($61), #13 Rock ‘N’ Gold ($51) and #18 Booker ($9.50); John Hawkes with #15 Glenall ($26)

• The previous Oakleigh Plate winning jockeys with a ride this weekend are: Damian Lane on #1 Flamberge, Dwayne Dunn on #15 Glenall, dual winner Damien Oliver chasing a third on #3 Sheidel, and Stephen Baster who is also after a third victory this year on #6 Fuhryk
• The mares have won three of the past five editions of the Oakleigh Plate
• A total of nine mares are accepted into the Oakleigh Plate 2018 field with: #3 Sheidel, #6 Fuhryk, #7 Savanna Amour, #8 Snitty Kitty, #9 Prussian Vixen, #10 Sword Of Light, #12 Lady Esprit, #14 Plazzo Pubblico and the first emergency #19e Quilista
• #8 Snitty Kitty ($9.50) is the best fancied of the mares in Oakleigh Plate betting

• Starspangledbanner (2010) was the last three-year-old Oakleigh Plate winner
• There are three three-year-olds in the mix this year and all are fillies out to be the first since Miss Kournikova (2011) to win: #16 She Will Reign ($6.50), #17 Catchy ($9) and #18 Booker ($9.50)
• Five-year-olds boast the best recent record in the Oakleigh Plate with four wins in the past seven years
• There are three five-year-olds in the mix this year: #4 Hellbent ($13), #9 Prussian Vixen ($51) and #12 Lady Esprit ($51)
• Three of the past five Oakleigh Plate winners jumped from double-digit barriers including most recently Flamberge (15 of 17 in 2016)
• Barriers 6 and 10 have both produced four Oakleigh Plate winners since 1983

• Favourites in Oakleigh Plate betting have a poor recent record in the race with just three wins since 2005 including most recently Lankan Rupee ($4 in 2014)
• Upsets with Oakleigh Plate winners at blow-out odds are common with six of the past 10 saluting at double-figures including genuine roughies Flamberge ($31 in 2016) and Swiss Ace ($31 in 2009)
• #2 Russian Revolution ($4.80) is favourite in the Oakleigh Plate odds this year
• Four of the past six Oakleigh Plate winners saluted in the race first-up and there are nine resuming runners in the mix this year: #2 Russian Revolution, #3 Sheidel, #5 Illustrious Lad, #6 Fuhryk, #7 Savanna Amour, #10 Sword Of Light, #11 Bons Away, #15 Glenall and #17 Catchy
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #16 She Will Reign (75%) followed by #2 Russian Revolution (60%), #8 Snitty Kitty (50%) and #17 Catchy (50%)
• The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #16 She Will Reign (88%) followed by #18 Booker (86%) and #8 Snitty Kitty (83%)
• The horses with the best winning form at the Caulfield track are: #7 Savanna Amour (5:3-0-1), #8 Snitty Kitty (6:3-2-1), #17 Catchy (6:3-1-2), #3 Sheidel (6:3-1-0), #9 Prussian Vixen (6:3-0-0), #10 Sword Of Light (10:3-1-1) #1 Flamberge (13:3-2-2), #18 Booker (4:2-1-0) and #6 Fuhryk (4:2-0-0)
• The runners with the best winning form over the distance (1100m) are: #3 Sheidel (10:5-1-0), #1 Flamberge (13:4-3-1), #14 Palazzo Pubblico (15:4-2-2), #2 Russian Revolution (3:3-0-0), #8 Snitty Kitty (6:3-2-0), #4 Hellbent (10:3-1-0), #5 Illustrious Lad (11:2-3-1), #16 She Will Reign (2:2-0-0), #17 Catchy (3:2-1-0) and #15 Glenall (5:2-2-0)

Stay tuned for our insider Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate 2018 tips, checking out the full race form guide below in the meantime provided by Ladbrokes.com.au.