2021 Irish Oaks Tips & Picks

No odds are currently available for the 2021 Irish Oaks.

When the Irish Oaks was originally created in 1895, it was run over eight furlongs, the same trip as the Irish 1000 Guineas. In 1915, the race was extended to 1m 4f, to match up with the Epsom Oaks and both the Epsom and Irish Derby.

As there's often a month between the Epsom Oaks and the Irish Oaks, fillies often attempt to land an audacious double. The first to achieve that feat was Frank Butters' Masaka, who scored at Epsom in 1948 before following up at the Curragh.

Although billed as the Irish Oaks, trainers from across Britain and other parts of Europe have enjoyed plenty of success in this Classic.

In fact, the winning-most trainer in the race is Sir Michael Stoute, who's returned home to England after saddling the Irish Oaks winner on six occasions.

Aidan O'Brien has won the Irish Oaks on six occasions, the first of his wins coming in 2006. 

Johnny Murtagh has ridden the most winners of this race, with his tally of six coming from a variety of trainers, from Aidan O'Brien and Michael Stoute, to John Oxx and Alain de Royer-Dupre.

Modern greats like Dahlia, Snow Fairy and Enable have all scored in the Irish Oaks.

Enable was followed into the winners' enclosure by William Haggas' Sea Of Class in 2018. Another British raider, Star Catcher triumphed under Frankie Dettori in 2019, handing John Gosden his third win in the Irish Oaks.

Ger Lyons celebrated his second Classic victory of the season after the 2020 Irish Oaks, as 10/1 shot Even So outstayed favourite Cayenne Pepper to win in good style.

Fancied horses do have a strong record in the Irish Oaks. However, since the turn of the Millennium, only seven favourites have managed to win, with half of those going off at very short prices.

We have seen some upsets in that space of time too. Several horses have won the Irish Oaks when going off at double-figure prices, with the longest being  33/1 outsider Margarula, who upstaged odds-on favourite Quarter Moon in 2002.

Winning form over either 1m 2f or 1m 4f is very important in the Irish Oaks. Although the Curragh is a tricky track for newcomers, the amount of raiders who have won the Irish Oaks suggests course form isn't vitally important.

The best trial for the Irish Oaks is certainly the Epsom Oaks. 

Many horses step up in trip having run in the Irish 1000 Guineas, or the British 1000 Guineas.

The Group One Pretty Polly Stakes, run over 10 furlongs here at the Curragh in June, is also a popular trial.

Lesser races like the Blue Wind Stakes, the Muster Oaks and the Naas Oaks Trial - all staged in Ireland - are often used as stepping stones towards the Irish Oaks.

Horses who impress in the Irish Oaks often drop back in trip and target the 1m 2f Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in September.

The Yorkshire Oaks - run over 1m 4f - is another obvious target, as is the Juddmonte International Stakes, which is also run during York's Ebor Festival.

The Champion Fillies' And Mares' Stakes at Ascot, and even the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe are popular end-of-season objectives for winners of the Irish Oaks.