Post-race jockey reports from the 2025 Queensland Oaks

You Wangh pulled out plenty at the business end to claim the $700,000 Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The daughter of So You Think placed three runs back in the Group 1 Australian Oaks before adding Queensland's fillies' feature.
You Wangh, ridden by Tommy Berry, defeated Godolphin filly Pinito and Australasian Oaks winner Benagil. The favourite Philia finished eighth.
Calling for the win! ðŸ'²
You Wahng takes the G1 Queensland Oaks for @Leesracing and @TommyBerry21! @BrisRacingClub @RaceQLD pic.twitter.com/LCfWV2Yfof
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025
The victory was trainer Kris Lees' third Queensland Oaks win, his second win in the race in the past three years. The other winners were Vitesse Dane (2005) and Amokura (2023).
The win was You Wangh's third from nine starts and took her earnings to more than $590,000.
This is what the riders thought of their mount's performance in the Queensland Oaks.
â– â– â– â– â–
1st - YOU WAHNG (Tommy Berry) She was a little bit underdone last start with the let-up between the Sydney Carnival and here. I learned my lesson last start. I got there too early on her. I really timed my run today and lucky she's only half a horse wide because she could take them sticky little tight runs but it's just unbelievable, it's awesome to do it.
2nd - PINITO (Jason Collett) Very brave. She was definitely in for the fight and just missed out.
3rd - BENAGIL (Mark Zahra) She was very stiff, she probably should have won. She just lacks gate speed which meant we ended up on the inside, so we had a few traffic issues before we got clear air.
4th - MOVIN OUT (James McDonald) She was really good, she probably just found the 2200 metres a little bit too far for her.
5th - SHE'S A DEALER (George Rooke) No comment provided.
6th - CHURCHILL'S CHOICE (Koby Jennings) She always hits that flat spot about half a mile out, and today it was a lot more obvious because it was her last run of the prep. But she's going to grow up and get stronger.
7th - AMPLIFY (Ryan Maloney) She began very ordinarily so I wasn't able to use the barrier to my advantage. In a muddling run race, she just got shuffled back too far and when the others started making their runs I had to duck back to the inside, which probably wasn't the place to be today. So I thought she ran quite well considering.
8th - PHILIA (Kerrin McEvoy) I thought she ran well. She began okay but didn't muster as well as I would have liked, so we didn't take up as good a potion as I would've liked. That meant we had to do a bit of work and she was beaten on the corner, but she still stuck on to be beaten not far. So David has done a remarkable job with her.
9th - JENNI'S MEADOW (Ethan Brown) I thought it was a really gallant effort. She probably just over-travelled a fraction throughout, which took away from her finish. So in the circumstances, I thought she stuck on well.
10th - ELLA HAZEL (Joshua Parr) I failed to execute the necessary procedures to win the race.
11th - SUN WORSHIPPER (Angela Jones) It's just a shame that she had a bad gate and we had to settle at the back of the field, we had no chance from the position we were in.
12th - REAL CLASS (Andrew Mallyon) We moved into the race really nicely before we got deleted and didn't get our chance.
13th - SWELTERING (Rachel King) She jumped well to offset the bad gate and travelled well for the first half of the race, before hitting a flat spot. But she still finished off well.
15th - ECLAIR ENCORE (Damien Thornton) She was very disappointing today.
16th - PLEASURE ARTIST (Cejay Graham) I think she's probably just looking for a break now.
17th - SHANGRI LA IMPACT (Tim Clark) It's only her first preparation and it probably all caught up with her today. She's probably come to the end of her prep.

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Watching women's sport not just for women: Experts talk on levelling the playing field

ABC News

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Watching women's sport not just for women: Experts talk on levelling the playing field

In 2023, a nation held its breath as the Matildas took on England in the FIFA Women's World Cup semifinal. What followed wasn't just a gripping match, it became the most-watched television broadcast in Australian history. A post-tournament social impact report from Football Australia revealed that 44 per cent of the audience comprised men and boys. For the first time, a women's football game outperformed every other program ever aired in the country, breaking the myth that women's sport only appeals to women. Former Matilda and lawyer Moya Dodd says we have come a long way in the past decade. "Ten years ago, no one would have believed it," she told ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport, at the recent RCB Innovation Lab Sports Summit in India. Women's sport has been marketed primarily to women, and that marketing often focuses on empowerment rather than excellence. But Dodd said the skill, determination, and passion on display deserves universal respect, regardless of the gender of those on the field. She said boys were already growing up idolising athletes like Sam Kerr, the same way they do male stars. "When young boys see professionalised women's sport, they accept it as normal," Dodd said. "They'll happily wear a jersey with Sam Kerr's name on it. "There is no social stigma." In India, the Women's Premier League (WPL) is emerging as a game-changer. The second season in 2024 reached more than 103 million TV viewers, with digital platforms like JioCinema drawing millions more. Brands are investing big: Viacom18 signed a $117 million deal for WPL rights, one of the most lucrative ever for a women's league. But framing isn't the only challenge. Dodd said structural barriers persisted across leadership, infrastructure, and media. "Sport was built by men, for men, and run by men," Dodd said. "You can't just retrofit women into those systems. You need to redesign them." Sarah Walsh, head of women's football at Football Australia, and a former Matildas player, said the Matildas' rise was made possible by constitutional changes in 2018 that brought more women into decision-making roles. "We wouldn't have had the success we did, equal pay deals, post-World Cup legacy funding, without women in the room deciding where the money goes," she told WINS. Dodd said although there had been ground made, there were other areas that needed to evolve. "Storytelling is still skewed toward men's sport," Dodd said. "We need commentary and coverage that welcomes new audiences, not one that constantly compares women's sport to men's." She stressed that female voices in broadcast and journalism played a vital role in shaping public perception. Both Dodd and Walsh indicated that with the right leadership, inclusive policies, and a reframing of how women's sport was presented, there was significant opportunity for growth and equity. They both believe growth on the field translates to growing the game off it. Walsh said infrastructure remained a silent but critical barrier to participation, with a number of community football facilities still not female friendly. "You're not going to retain girls if they simply can't get dressed," Walsh said. Meanwhile, teenage dropout rates among girls are high due to issues ranging from lack of safety to body image concerns. Major events like the Women's World Cup helped boost participation by 20 per cent, but retention is still a hurdle. Recent trends in viewership and sponsorship suggest that interest in women's sport is not limited by gender. It delivers economic, cultural, and social returns. With the Matildas' semi-final appearance in 2023 and the growing viewership of WPL, sponsorships have increased, new demographics are being reached, and male audiences are growing across markets. "Women's sport brings audiences that have come to celebrate inclusion and a sense of social purpose. And this audience includes people of all genders and ages," Dodd said. Dodd and Walsh believe these developments raise a broader question — no longer whether women's sport has a place, but whether existing structures are prepared to meet the growing potential. Veechika Durga Pingali is a freelance journalist based in Bengaluru, India, with experience in both journalism and public relations. She has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and enjoys writing about gender, media and sports. Veechika is part of ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.