Winx Half-Brother Among Oakleigh Plate 2017 Nominations

A half-brother to glamour mare Winx has been nominated for a Group 1 run at Caulfield Racecourse in the Oakleigh Plate 2017 this Saturday in Melbourne.

A half-brother to Winx El Divino (inside) is nominated for a run in the 2017 Oakleigh Plate this Saturday at Caulfield. Photo: Steve Hart.

Winx will be on show in Sydney looking for a 15^th straight victory in the Chipping Norton Stakes, while her half-brother El Divino is entered for a Blue Diamond Stakes run in the $500,000 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m).

The Futurity Stakes may have drawn just seven nominations, but a bumper 19 early entries are in the mix for this season’s edition of the Oakleigh Plate handicap sprint including El Divino.

Sharing the dam Vegas Showgirl with Chris Waller’s champion mare and $9.4 million earner Winx, the three-year-old Snitzel colt steps up to Group 1 company for the first time since his Golden Rose seventh last September.

With two summer runs behind him, the youngster is out to improve on a last start fifth in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at the same track and distance as the Oakleigh from February 11.

Weir is yet to train an Oakleigh Plate winner and the last three-year-old to take out the race was Starspangledbanner (2010) seven years ago.

El Divino gallops on Tuesday morning at home at Ballarat and Weir hopes that will bring him on for an improved performance on Saturday.

“He was disappointing last time, but if he gallops well in the morning, then he’ll probably be given his chance,” Weir told Racing Victoria on Monday.

Record-breaking trainer Weir has a total of four Oakleigh Plate nominations this autumn with El Divino joined by reigning champion Flamberge who won for Peter Moody last year, Hellbent and Thermal Current chasing a third straight win.

Exceed And Excel seven-year-old Flamberge hasn’t won a race since completing the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate – William Reid Stakes double last autumn.

His spring form was disappointing, but the 1100m specialist looked on track for his Oakleigh Plate title defence running only a quarter-length back four fourth in a blanket finish in last Saturday’s Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington.

Four-year-old I Am Invincible stallion Hellbent is third-up on the back of a Rubiton Stakes fourth, while Thermal Current was last seen winning the Listed W.J. Adams (1000m) at the Caulfield track on February 4.

Mick Price has nominated for his returning colt Extreme Choice who won the Blue Diamond Stakes on this day a year ago.

Not A Single Doubt three-year-old Extreme Choice has since defeated an open-age field at Moonee Valley in September’s Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) and is out to atone of his loss to stablemate Flying Artie in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington last Derby Day.

He has been brought-on ahead of his Oakleigh Plate return on way to the $1.5 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) on March 11 with a winning hit-out in the wet at Cranbourne on February 7.

Price is after his second Oakleigh Plate victory after the success of Lankan Rupee (2014) three years ago.

Other notable nominees include the returning Matthew Dale-trained Darley Classic third placed Fell Swoop who was runner-up in the race last year, Lindsay Park’s Winterbottom Stakes runner-up in Perth Sheidel and the Myer Classic winning filly I Am A Star.

Check out the full Oakleigh Plate 2017 nominations below before heading to our No. 1 recommended sportsbook Ladbrokes.com.au for up to $500 in bonus match bets when you first sign-up, deposit and quote the code BETBONUS (T&Cs apply / excluding NSW).

2017 Oakleigh Plate Nominations

Caulfield Racecourse – 25/02/2017