Crown Oaks 2025 form guide: ‘Soft’ win for red-hot favourite opens door for outsider in $1 million race
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Getta Good Feeling will be the red-hot favourite in Thursday’s Crown Oaks – but one smart judge is cautious after a “soft” win less than a week ago.
In the classic three-year-old race for fillies on Thursday afternoon, the Danny O’Brien-trained runner produced a dominant win to take out the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes.
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Form expert David Gately admits the $1.80 price is warranted, especially with jockey Mark Zahra booked to ride once again.
“It has been a great race for a long time and had a reliable form reference as a rule out of the Wakeful leading in,” he said on TAB’s Wide World of Sports preview.
Getta Good Feeling ridden by Mark Zahra in the Wakeful Stakes Racing Photos via Getty Images
“I think she’s at the top of the market for those exact, obvious reasons. Not only was it quite a dominant win, but it looked to be quite a soft win as well.
“She is still learning her craft, I don’t have any issues with her at the trip and she deserves to be favourite and will be really hard to beat.”
With two wins and four placings in six career starts, Getta Good Feeling is going to have the eyes of the racing world on her at Flemington.
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However, according to Gately, there are some other key horses that can’t be ignored.
“I think Classic Gem can run a good race,” he continued.
“I’m interested in the price at double-figure odds, I thought she was terrific off a wide run at Caulfield and you can tie that run in through the favourite.
“I’m just drawn in by the price, it’s as simple as that. She came wide in that last race and it was dominated close to the rail.
“She is no good thing, but she’s over the odds. I’m just looking for a bit of value outside the favourite and there’s plenty of value if you can get that favourite beaten.
“I also like what Strictly Business did here in the Wakeful, she was second-up. She is the one with measurable upside and she interests me as well,” he said.
Strictly Business ran second behind the favourite last Saturday by 1.3 lengths, while Classic Gem’s last start saw her finish fourth in the Group 3 Ethereal last month.
Classic Gem Racing Photos via Getty Images
David Gately’s 2025 Crown Oaks tips
12 – CLASSIC GEM
1 – GETTA GOOD FEELING
7 – STRICTLY BUSINESS
Here’s every runner competing in the Crown Oaks. Odds courtesy of TAB, correct as of Wednesday November 5 at 11am.
1. Getta Good Feeling (4)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Danny O’Brien
Jockey: Mark Zahra
Career: 6: 2-1-3
Odds: $1.80 / $1.18
2. The Pearls (12)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Chris Waller
Jockey: James McDonald
Career: 7: 1-2-2
Odds: $8.50 / $2.30
3. Spicy Lu (7)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Nick Olive
Jockey: Nash Rawiller
Career: 8: 4-0-0
Odds: $9.50 / $2.50
4. Just A Journey (10)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Michael Freedman
Jockey: Damian Lane
Career: 8: 3-3-1
Odds: $9 / $2.40
5. Ethereum Girl (3)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: B, W & J Hayes
Jockey: Jamie Melham
Career: 7: 2-1-0
Odds: $18 / $3.90
6. Sheeza Diva (11)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: M & D Kearney
Jockey: Rachel King
Career: 11: 1-0-1
Odds: $31 / $6
7. Strictly Business (13)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Thomas Carberry
Jockey: John Allen
Career: 3: 1-1-0
Odds: $10 / $2.60
8. After Summer (2)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Dominic Sutton
Jockey: Billy Egan
Career: 4: 1-0-1
Odds: $31 / $6
9. Zouclare (1)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Ciaron Maher
Jockey: Ethan Brown
Career: 6: 0-2-0
Odds: $101 / $16
10. Voting Rights (5)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: G Waterhouse & A Bott
Jockey: Jordan Childs
Career: 5: 1-0-2
Odds: $31 / $6
11. Morisu Ojo (8)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Ciaron Maher
Jockey: Craig Williams
Career: 6: 1-0-0
Odds: $126 / $18
12. Classic Gem (9)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Wendy Kelly
Jockey: Ben Allen
Career: 5: 0-1-1
Odds: $21 / $4
13. Janey Bopper (6)
Weight: 56kg
Trainer: Andrew Bobbin
Jockey: Harry Coffey
Career: 3: 0-0-1
Odds: $151 / $22
