Ladbrokes Tip: The BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes is a key lead-up to the JJ Atkins each winter carnival

The JJ Atkins, formerly the TJ Smith, is a Group 1 race for two-year-olds traditionally held at Eagle Farm Racecourse on Stradbroke Handicap Day during the annual Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.

Conducted on a Saturday in early – mid June, the classic is one of three Group 1 features at the meeting along with the Queensland Derby for three-year-olds and the lucrative $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

The 2017 JJ Atkins and other Stradbroke Handicap Day races were moved from a rain-affected Eagle Farm track to Doomben Racecourse and in 2018 the JJ Atkins also took place at Doomben with continued track issues at Eagle Farm.

Run at set weights, the colts and geldings carrying 57kg in the JJ Atkins field while the fillies carry 55kg. Conducted over a mile (1600m) the JJ Atkins offers $600,000 in total prize money including $360,000 to the winner.

For 2020 the J.J. Atkins Stakes was reduced to $350,000 with $203,000 for the winner due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the race distance from 1600m to 1400m.

Three races a ballot exemption to the winner/s into the JJ Atkins with New Zealand’s Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, the BRC Champagne Classic and the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes. The last horse to complete the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes – JJ Atkins double was Sizzling (2012).

The latest edition of the JJ Atkins ran on Saturday June 6, 2020 and was won by the Robert Heathcote-trained favourite Rothfire. 

The JJ Atkins Race Info

• Date: Saturday June 6, 2020
• Track: Eagle Farm Racecourse
• Distance: 1600m (1400m in 2020)
• Conditions: 2YOs – Set Weights
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $600,000 ($350,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19)
• First Run: 1893

2020 The JJ Atkins Results

• 1st: #1 Rothfire
• 2nd: #13 Gotta Kiss
• 3rd: #5 The Drinks Cart

The official JJ Atkins 2020 results & finishing order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday June 6, 2020.

Robert Heathcote’s promising young star Rothfire was far too good in the JJ Atkins 2020 results, the Champagne Classic winner backing-up to win the Group 1 by over three lengths head of a potential spring run in the $15 million The Everest race in Sydney.

Colour	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	1	ROTHFIRE	Robert Heathcote	Jim Byrne		13	57kg		$3.50F
	2	13	GOTTA KISS	Steven O’Dea	Ms Stephanie Thornton	3.3L	15	55kg		$20
	3	5	THE DRINKS CART	Toby & Trent Edmonds	Brad Stewart	3.5L	8	57kg		$21
	4	11	OVERLORD	Chris Waller	Boris Thornton	3.9L	17	57kg		$13
	5	3	WISDOM OF WATER	Toby & Trent Edmonds	Robbie Fradd	4.1L	10	57kg		$11
	6	6	THUNDER MANIA	John Symons & Sheila Laxon	Taylor Marshall	4.2L	7	57kg		$41
	7	14	MACROURA	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Andrew Mallyon	4.4L	2	55kg		$7
	8	2	WILD RULER	Peter & Paul Snowden	Ryan Maloney	4.6L	14	57kg		$11
	9	10	TICK TOCK BOOM	David Vandyke	Jake Bayliss	4.8L	9	57kg		$41
	10	17	ISOTOPE	Tony Gollan	Baylee Nothdurft (a)	5L	12	55kg		$5
	11	18	STAROSA	Tony Gollan	James Innes Jnr	5.2L	11	55kg		$151
	12	15	COSMIC GOSSIP	Stuart Kendrick	Dale Smith	5.4L	16	55kg		$201
	13	7	SPOKESMAN	Chris Waller	Luke Dittman	5.6L	5	57kg		$101
	14	8	SAFFIANO	Chris Waller	Mark Du Plessis	5.9L	4	57kg		$61
	15	9	WAY BEYOND	Stuart Kendrick	Ryan Wiggins	6L	6	57kg		$201
	16	16	MINJEE	Robert Heathcote	Blake Spriggs	8.7L	18	55kg		$101
	17	12	SUPERARE	Stuart Kendrick	James Orman	10L	1	57kg		$101
	18	4	NOT AN OPTION	Richard & Michael Freedman	Michael Cahill	12.2L	3	57kg		$18
		20e	SEA BOSS	Kristen Buchanan			0
		19e	SEE MARIE	Desleigh Forster	Taylor Marshall		0

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

JJ Atkins Betting & Odds

Futures JJ Atkins odds on the likely runners open weeks in advance of the race offering generous ante-post or pre-field prices for the punters.

The markets firm once the JJ Atkins final field is released and provides more security and betting options for the Stradbroke Handicap Day feature. Sydney raiders often dominate JJ Atkins betting as the visitors have dominant recent results including two winners for Gai Waterhouse and three for Chris Waller from 2010 – 2018.

Favourites in JJ Atkins betting have a strong recent record in the race with six winning since 2010 including Sacred Elixir ($5 2016), The Autumn Sun ($2.45 in 2018) and most recently Rothfire ($3.50 in 2020).

Horses that run well in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes a fortnight earlier also feature highly in markets for the Group 1 over a mile at the Eagle Farm track, with the 2017 JJ Atkins winner Capital Gain improving on a lead-up fifth in the Sires.

2020 JJ Atkins Odds

The season’s best JJ Atkins 2020 betting odds and Group 1 Brisbane racing markets will be available below so make sure you bookmark this page for access to the top prices on your JJ Atkins betting selections.

Sacred Elixir (2016) was the last favourite in The JJ Atkins betting to salute for the punters. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

The JJ Atkins field attracts a line-up of the winter’s most promising young milers. The two-year-olds come off a number of different runs, but the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1350m) held a fortnight before is the key lead-up for JJ Atkins-bound two-year-olds.

The final acceptances feature many interstate-trained visitors who have a dominant recent record in the race winning six of the editions from 2011 – 2020, while the New Zealand raider Sacred Elixir won the race in 2016.

The largest field in recent history saw 19 runners in 2004 when Outback Prince won. The smallest field to date was just five runners in 2008, the race won by Rockdale from the outside alley.

The JJ Atkins nominations are taken in early May five weeks before the final acceptances are released along with the barrier draw on the Tuesday before the race runs on the Saturday.

2020 JJ Atkins Field

The official JJ Atkins Plate 2020 Final Field & Barriers will be posted here once released on the Tuesday of Stradbroke Handicap Day.

The 2020 JJ Atkins field has drawn a capacity line-up of 18 two-year-olds led by last start Group 2 Champagne Classic winner Rothfire out in gate 14 and the filly that ran second in the same lead-up, Isotope in barrier 13.

2020 JJ Atkins First Acceptances

The first acceptances for the JJ Atkins 2020 are taken on a Wednesday, 10 days out from the event and will be available in full below.

There are 30 two-year-olds left in the mix following the 2020 JJ Atkins first acceptances with Rob Heathcote’s Group 2 Champagne Classic winner Rothfire the early favourite in betting.

2020 JJ Atkins Nominations

The early JJ Atkins 2020 nominations close at the start of May followed by first acceptances later that month with the full entries to be announced below once released by Racing Queensland.

The JJ Atkins Form Guide

The JJ Atkins form guide provides all the key information such as jockeys, trainers, barriers and the lead-up runs of the two-year-olds in the field.

Sydney trainers have dominated the JJ Atkins results in recent years so check the form guide for Chris Waller and Gai Waterhouse-trained juveniles in good form.

The BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes form has stacked up in the JJ Atkins more than any other lead-up over history, but interestingly all three winners from 2013 – 15 didn’t come off a black-type run. Again in 2018 the hot favourite in JJ Atkins betting who went on to salute for the punters was The Autumn Sun whose lead-up run was a Randwick win in a 2YOs SWP event.

The JJ Atkins form has stacked up in bigger races later on over the years including in 2015 when Press Statement won the Caulfield Guineas in the spring. One of the best recent examples of the J.J. Atkins form holding up in future Group 1 events was the 2018 champion The Autumn Sun who took out that spring’s Golden Rose – Caulfield Guineas interstate double and also the following autumn’s Randwick Guineas – Rosehill Guineas Group 1 double in Sydney.

JJ Atkins Form Facts

• The BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes a fortnight before has proved the key JJ Atkins form line to follow into the Group 1
• Favourites have a strong record saluting for the punters
• The last filly to beat home the boys in the JJ Atkins was Linky Dink (2009)
• Sydney-trained raiders have an outstanding record in the race in recent years

2020 JJ Atkins Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive JJ Atkins 2020 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

The JJ Atkins Tips

JJ Atkins race tips include looking for promising miler types from Sydney’s leading stables, watching for the Brisbane runners coming off a strong BRC Sires’ Produce performance and the runner drawn in barrier six.

Barrier six produced three past winners from 2009 – 2011 and is one of the most successful barriers in the past 30 plus years.

2020 JJ Atkins Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive JJ Atkins 2020 betting tips and exotic Group 1 winter racing selections will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the juveniles to back and sack.

The JJ Atkins Results

Overall single-figure hopes have dominated the recent  JJ Atkins results.

The longest-priced winner in recent years was Linky Dink ($26 in 2009), who was also the last filly to beat home the boys in the JJ Atkins.

Recent JJ Atkins winners of note include The Autumn Sun (2018), Press Statement (2015), Sizzling (2012), Pressday (2010) and Reigning To Win (2006).

JJ Atkins Winners