New Zealand Oaks

The Group 1 New Zealand Oaks is a 2400m staying event for three-year-old fillies and is arguably one of the most important races on the New Zealand Racing calendar.

Run under set weight conditions at Trentham racecourse, the race worth NZ$400,000 consistently attracts a strong field of fillies and often produces strong mares when they come back for their four-year-old season.

Having been run at Riccarton until 1972 and only over 2000m until 1974, the New Zealand Oaks has produced some of the best horses to have run in New Zealand.

Subsequent Group 1 winners like Glamour Bay and Bonneval have used the NZ Oaks as a launching pad to further success.

1997 winner Tycoon Lil would go on to finish third in the 1998 Cox Plate behind the legendary Might And Power.

With the ATC Oaks run three weeks after the New Zealand Oaks, connections are often not afraid to take their horses to Australia and compete for the big prizemoney on offer.

Best Bookmakers for the 2022 New Zealand Oaks

All the bookmakers listed below have or will have New Zealand Oaks markets available. The race is run in mid-March, so expect to find all-in markets available throughout the summer months.

Our top bookmakers know the importance of framing international markets early, so expect to see the NZ Oaks in the futures list throughout the year.

Bookies for the New Zealand Oaks

New Zealand Oaks History

No Jockey has won the race on more than one occasion since 2011, but as always in New Zealand, it has paid to follow legendary jocky Opie Bosson since the turn of the century.

Having tasted success in 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010 & 2021 in the race, Bosson alongside Chris Johnson are the only two jockey’s to have won the prestigious race five times.

Greg Childs is the next best with four wins, with all of those coming in the 1980’s.

Shaune Ritchie has had a stranglehold on the New Zealand Oaks since 2010, with the trainer having success in 2010, 2012 & 2020.

The New Zealand Oaks has been the catapult to Group 1 success, both locally and in Australia.

Bonneval is arguably the one with most credentials, with the Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman-trained filly going on to claim the Australian Oaks three weeks after claiming the NZ Oaks & as a four-year-old claimed the Underwood Stakes in 2017.

2021 New Zealand Oaks Result

Recent New Zealand Oaks runnings

• 2021: Amarelinha overcomes dramtic start to claim the NZ Oaks
  Favourite punters were holding their collective breath when the gates flung open in the 2021 New Zealand Oaks when Amaerlinha seemingly jumped in the air and almost lost legendary hoop jockey Opie Bosson in the process.Despite the action costing her early ground and momentum, Bosson was forced to track three-wide leaving the home straight the first time, before he was was able to slot into a nice position one-off the fence in midfield. From there on the result appeared to be in little doubt as Bosson sent Amarelinha forward to challenge on the home turn and then urged her two lengths clear with a brilliant turn of foot. Amarelinha’s win handed Bosson a mind-blowing fifth win in the New Zealand Oaks, tied with Chris Johnson for the most wins in the race.
• 2020: Waddell special guides Jennifer Eccles an Oaks victory
  Having drawn the carpark, Jason Waddell needed to be at his creative best to help steer Jennifer Eccles to victory in the New Zealand Oaks. Having claimed the Fillies’ classic and Lowland Stakes in the lead up to the event, she was an obvious favourite to go and claim the New Zealand Oaks and despite drawing barrier 18 was still far too good for her rivals. Waddell took his time down the Trentham straight the first time when looking for a position, and within 300m he had found a perfect midfield position, one off the rail. Having been patient approaching the home turn, when asked for an effort Jennifer Eccless soared to the front in the straight, and despite starting to tire over the last 100m, she cruised to an emphatic victory by a length and a half. The win handed trainer Shaune Ritchie a third win in the race in the last 10 years.
• 2019: Sentimental Miss salutes at big odds
  The Lisa Latta-trained Sentimental Miss was a class above in the New Zealand Oaks when saluting by over a length. Despite being sent around as a $21 chance, Lisa Allpress helped make the filly look like a well-fancied runner when having her settled close to the speed throughout. Having only partnered Sentimental Miss on debut to a second-place result at Otaki, it was Lisa Allpress’ second start aboard the filly and she managed to hand a massive group of connections a Group 1 win with the talented, yet inconsistent filly.
• 2018: Savvy Coup dazzles in the Oaks
  Father and son training duo Michael& Matthew Pitman etched themselves in to the Group 1 record books when Savvy Coup claimed a remarkable victory in the 2018 NZ Oaks. The win handed jockey Chris Johnson a record-breaking fifth win in the race, some 20 years after bringing up his fourth win. Johnson was quick to ask an effort from the filly and started to make his move 800m out from home and attempted to make it a genuine staying event. Despite seemingly hitting the lead a long way out from home, Savvy Coup kept kicking in the home straight to hold off her rivals by just over a length.
• 2017: Bonneval gets the job done for favourite punters
  The Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman-trained Bonneval was breathtaking when claiming the 2017 NZ Oaks. She sat second last upon settling and moved wide across the top and crucially missed two fallers before sweeping up to third turning for home. Once she led at the 300m, the rest of the field had their work cut out as this filly knows what the winning post looks like and ended up scoring by half a length in 2:31.99.

Past New Zealand Oaks Winners List

New Zealand Oaks Past Winners Pre 2000

More NZ racing

• New Zealand Derby betting guide