2026 Oakleigh Plate Results

Stay tuned for the official 2026 Oakleigh Plate results and finishing order and to see what sprinters have other Group 1 targets in sight this autumn.

• 1st: No. 3 Tropicus ($7.50)
• 2nd: No. 1 Hedged
• 3rd: No. 13 Gallant Son

Winning Margin: 1.25 lengths

Winning Time: 1:02.18

Anthony & Sam Freedman‘s honest four-year-old sprinter Tropicus ($7.50) posted his maiden Group 1 success fresh when returning in style at Caulfield to score a comprehensive win in the 2026 Oakleigh Plate results. Twelve months on from his Group 3 Zeditave win on Blue Diamond Day last season, the progressive son of Too Darn Hot showed his maturity and class when producing a stunning late burst to secure the Group 1 first-up for the autumn. Raced and bred by Kia Ora, the entire was given a peach of a ride by Craig Williams who made it a Group 1 double on the day following on from his Futurity win with Pericles. It was also, incredibly, Williams’ first Oakleigh Plate victory and his first sit on Tropicus who is likely to target the Group 1 Ladbrokes William Reid Stakes back at Caulfield on March 21.

Click here for the full story.

Oakleigh Plate Tips

2026 Oakleigh Plate Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Oakleigh Plate 2026 Tips on the Group 1 sprint this Blue Diamond Stakes Day.

Each Way: No. 5 Oak Hill 

OAK HILL (11) goes around at a massive price in the Oakleigh Plate, and I’m more than happy to have him on an each way basis after a confidence boosting lead-up win. The Team Hayes-trained Per Incanto gelding showed real grit second-up in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes, digging in late to hold off Don’t Hope Do by a quarter-length, and he arrives here rock-hard fit. Caulfield has been a genuine sweet spot for him (6:2-2-0), and the 1100m is right in his wheelhouse. He sticks on 57kg, with Beau Mertens taking over the reins, and even with the jockey change he profiles as the type who can settle, build, and charge late when the race opens up. At the odds, he’s absolutely capable of landing in the finish — one to watch storming home.

Oakleigh Plate News

Tropicus Wins 2026 Oakleigh Plate First-Up

• 2026 Oakleigh Plate Field & Odds Update: Punters Come for Point Barrow
• Oakleigh Plate 2026 Odds Tighten on Rubiton Stakes Winner Oak Hill
• 2025 Oakleigh Plate Results: Jimmysstar Swoops to Win
• Mares Head Oakleigh Plate 2025 Field & Odds
• Oakleigh Plate 2024 Results: Queman Wins In Upset Thriller

The Group 1 Oakleigh Plate is held during the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival and is traditionally run at Caulfield Racecourse at the end of February each year. Raced over a short distance of 1100m, runners in the Oakleigh Plate field normally arrive via the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1100m) and the Australia Stakes (1200m) if they are not resuming in the Blue Diamond Stakes Day sprint.

As an open handicap race, the Oakleigh Plate attracts some of the strongest and fastest horse from around the country to win the $750,000 in prize money. Many of the best horses in this race will go on to race in the slightly longer Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) down the Flemington straight the following month.

The Oakleigh Plate is held alongside the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m). Recent winners of the Oakleigh Plate – Newmarket Handicap double include Lankan Rupee (2014) and Weekend Hussler (2008).

The 2023 Oakleigh Plate form was franked with the winner Uncommon James going on to run second next-up in Sydney’s The Galaxy. He also returned in the spring and finished third in both the Moir and Manikato Stakes at The Valley.

The Oakleigh Plate runner-up from 2023, Lofty Strike, meanwhile was second in the Newmarket as well at his next run.

The Oakleigh form from 2024 was franked with the third placed Mornington Glory going on to win that spring’s Group 1 Moir Stakes at The Valley.

The 2025 Oakleigh Plate winner Jimmysstar went on to frank the form with a host of subsequent top three runs at elite level including in the William Reid Stakes (3rd), All Aged Stakes (1st), The Everest (3rd), Russell Balding Stakes (1st) and the CF Orr Stakes (1st) which was moved from the autumn to the spring in 2025.

2026 Oakleigh Plate Betting

The latest Oakleigh Plate 2026 betting odds will be available at Ladbrokes.com.au on the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes Day sprint clash and also published here at Races.com.au.

The last favourite in Oakleigh Plate betting to win was Russian Revolution ($4.60 in 2018) followed by Marabi ($2.60 in 2022).

There was a notable upset in 2024 with Queman saluting at Oakleigh Plate odds of $17.

Oakleigh Plate Field

2026 Oakleigh Plate Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2026 OAKLEIGH PLATE FORM GUIDE

2026 Oakleigh Plate Nominations

The 2026 Oakleigh Plate nominations will be published below on the Monday before Blue Diamond Stakes Day.

The Oakleigh Plate 2026 nominations attracted 20 autumn sprinters led in all-in betting by the resuming Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Group 3 winning filly Point Barrow.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2026 Oakleigh Plate Field

Each autumn the Oakleigh Plate Final Field attracts a star-studded line-up of short distance specialists, many of which are resuming off spring races or that kicked things off at Flemington the week prior in the Lightning Stakes over 1000m.

The 2026 Oakleigh Plate field will be provided here as soon as released by Racing Victoria on the Wednesday before the race.

The Oakleigh Plate 2026 final field features a bumper line-up of short distance autumn sprinters led in betting by the resuming Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained filly Point Barrow who is undefeated over the distance.

Click here to read more on the key runners in the 2026 Oakleigh Plate field and betting markets.

Oakleigh Plate Barrier & Speedmap

1

Geegees Mistruth Midfield

2

De Bergerac Backmarker

3

Gallant Son Midfield

4

She's Bulletproof Midfield

5

Hedged Pace

6

Spywire Midfield

7

Don't Hope Do Leader

8

Persian Spirit Backmarker

9

Tropicus Leader

10

Point Barrow Backmarker

11

Oak Hill Off Midfield

12

Jedibeel Off Midfield

12

Bridal Waltz invalid settling lengths

13

Way To The Stars Pace

Oakleigh Plate History

The Oakleigh Plate was first won by Malua in 1884 and has since been a tough race to win twice with only two horses managing a double victory. Dual Choice took out the Oakleigh Plate title in two consecutive years in 1971 and 1972, following the non-successive wins of Aurie’s Star (1937 & 1939).

The Oakleigh Plate resulted in a dead heat for first place twice in a row firstly by Merab and First Arrow in 1931 and then Blematic and Umbertana in 1932, and again in 2021 with Celebrity Queen and Portland Sky.

Notable recent Oakleigh Plate winners include subsequent star sires Fastnet Rock (2005) and Snitzel (2006), along with Lankan Rupee (2014) and Flamberge (2016).

In 2023 the Oakleigh Plate was run and won at Sandown Racecourse with Caulfield undergoing renovations.

Oakleigh Plate Previous Race Winners