Blue Diamond Stakes Day headlines the Melbourne Festival of Racing this weekend at Caulfield Racecourse including the running of the Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate 2018, betting tips and updated odds on the sprint showdown detailed below.

Russian Revolution is the hard to beat favourite heading the Races.com.au 2018 Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate tips on Blue Diamond Day. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Scheduled as the penultimate event on the nine-race card, this season’s Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate (1100m) features a capacity line-up with 18 starters plus two emergencies.

The Oakleigh Plate results over the past decade have been dominated by upset winners, but this year the punters are tipping Russian Revolution to get the job done at single-figures.

The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained favourite pays $4.80 in the latest Oakleigh Plate odds at Ladbrokes.com.au and is out to become just the second top fancy to win along with Lankan Rupee (2014) since 2008.

Drawn barrier 11, into nine with emergencies out, the son of Snitzel beat his subsequent The Everest – Darley Classic winning stablemate Redzel home in Group 1 company over this distance in Sydney last March to salute in The Galaxy and is tipped to do the same in Melbourne fresh.

He has won all three of his first-up runs to date and kicks off his autumn in the Oakleigh Plate field, looking to atone for his second last (12^th) to the filly She Will Reign last time out on September 29 at The Valley in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m).

The other single-figure fancies in Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate betting looking to enjoy an early autumn elite level are the aforementioned She Will Reign ($6.50) out wide but coming off a fresh win in Sydney, fellow fillies Catchy ($9) and Booker ($9.50), and Henry Dwyer’s speedy mare Snitty Kitty ($9.50) who boasts an impressive record over the track / distance (3:2-1-0).

Earlier in the week we published our full Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate 2018 Form Guide & Betting Preview, our tips below based on the race facts and stats uncovered on the handicap dash.

1^st

#2 Russian Revolution ($4.80)

Favourites don’t win the Oakleigh Plate, Lankan Rupee (2014) the only since Weekend Hussler (2008), but this year’s top fancy is too good to ignore. Resumes here and is three-from-three first-up. Flies fresh and that included his The Galaxy (1100m) win over this distance in Sydney last autumn. Also undefeated over the 1100m (3:3-0-0) so will be at his peak when others may be suited to further later. Four of the past six winners took it out in their autumn kick-off, plus he boasts an impressive 60% win rate. Think at this distance first-up he can account for a quality field.

2^nd

#3 Sheidel ($20)

Big Oakleigh Plate odds on offer for last year’s winner who is out to go back-to-back in the race for the first time since Dual Choice (1971-72). Not sure she’ll break the drought for defending champions, but this Lindsay Park-trained mare was third in the Moir Stakes only a length beaten before two unplaced runs later in the spring, so has form around She Will Reign. Goes well first-up (7:3-1-1) and also resumes. This is her pet track (6:3-1-0) and she is a genuine 1100m specialist (10:5-1-0). Danger at blowout odds.

3^rd

#8 Snitty Kitty ($9.50)

The mares have won three of the past five editions of the Oakleigh Plate and this year the shortest-priced of the mares (not fillies) is this four-year-old daughter of Snitzel. She is drawn very wide (18 into 16), but there have been a few recent winners form double-digit barriers and she has the gate speed to overcome. Loves Caulfield and the 1100m and from three runs at the track / distance she has two wins and a second. WJ Adams second here when the beaten favourite fresh over 1000m last time out that she’s looking to atone for, better over 1100m and fitter for the run.

Get behind our exclusive Oakleigh Plate 2018 betting tips at the best Caulfield racing odds online now through the meeting’s major sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au.