After the Melbourne Cup is run and won at 3:00pm (AEDT) on Tuesday afternoon the Melbourne Cup Carnival action continues at Flemington on Thursday with a class edition of the Kennedy Oaks 2023 on the cards.

2023 Flight Stakes winner Tropical Squall is looking to return to winning form in the VRC Oaks 2023 field at Flemington on Thursday. Photo: Steve Hart.

A final field of 14 smart three-year-old fillies faces off in the Group 1 $1 million Kennedy Oaks (2500m) this year with the top two in betting at Ladbrokes.com.au hard to split.

Currently sitting top of the Kennedy VRC Oaks odds online at $3 is Zardozi for the Godolphin stable.

Trainer James Cummings won the race two years ago with Willowy (2021) and is out to steal the show again in 2023 with in-form Kingman filly Zardozi.

Two back she was good over the Flemington mile winning the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) before a last start second in the key Oaks lead-up narrowly beaten on Derby Day in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m).

She was a nostril-flare off the winner that day and gets the chance to atone over further in the Oaks field from a gun barrier six draw with James McDonald in the saddle.

The danger occupying the second line of Kennedy Oaks betting at $3.90 is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) winner two back in Sydney, Tropical Squall.

The consistent Prized Icon filly has won three of her five starts to date and had her first Melbourne run on Caulfield Cup Day when second in the Group 3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m).

She carried 59kg that day and was narrowly beaten from a wide alley.

Up in distance now Tropical Squall will relish the return to 56kg at set weights and is drawn for a good run from barrier three with Adam Hyeronimus to ride.

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott prepared the 2017 Kennedy Oaks winner Pinot and along with Tropical Squall, who is out to do the Flight Stakes – VRC Oaks interstate double, the team also saddle-up last start Wakeful Stakes winner Amazonian Lass.

Tim Clark retains the ride on the progressive More Than Ready filly who scored the narrow upset over Zardozi last Saturday and now looks to do the Wakeful – Oaks double for the first time since the aforementioned Willowy (2021).

Amazonian Lass is currently at Kennedy Oaks odds of $9 and is drawn wide out in gate 13.

Rounding out the single-figure fancies in this year’s race at $9.50 is the Emma-Lee & David Browne-trained Basilinna in gate two with the retiring Damien Oliver chasing one final Oaks victory.

Oliver has dominated the Kennedy Oaks results in recent history riding five of the past eight winners most recently Willowy (2021) who was his third in as many years.

His mount this year is the Kiwi-bred Basilinna who atoned for a disappointing Edward Manifold eighth with an eye-catching Ethereal third at Caulfield behind Autumn Angel as a 30/1 outsider.

The Kennedy Oaks 2023 is scheduled to run as Flemington Race 8 at 5:10pm (AEDT) on Thursday with full markets from Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.

2023 Kennedy Oaks Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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