JJ Atkins 2023

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.

2022 JJ Atkins winner Sheeza Belter (pictured in Sydney). Photo: Steve Hart.

Conducted on a Saturday in early – mid June, the classic is one of two Group 1 features at the meeting along with the the lucrative $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m), while the new-look $1.2 million Group 2 The Q22 (2200m) that has now replaced the race formerly known as the PJ O’Shea Stakes (defunct) is the other major race on the card.

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 $1,000,000 in total prize money as of 2021.

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 (now run as the Spirit Of Boom Classic) and the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes.

The last horses to complete the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes – JJ Atkins double were Sizzling (2012) followed by the filly Sheeza Belter in 2022, while the Champagne Classic – JJ Atkins double was last achieved by Rothfire (2020).

The latest edition of the Ladbrokes JJ Atkins ran on Saturday June 10, 2023 at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane and saw the well-bred Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Kingman colt King Colorado ($14) score an upset at just his third career start.  

The Ladbrokes JJ Atkins Race Info

• Date: Saturday June 10, 2023
• Track: Eagle Farm Racecourse
• Distance: 1600m
• Conditions: 2YOs – Set Weights
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $1,000,000
• First Run: 1893

2023 Ladbrokes JJ Atkins Results

• 1st: #12 King Colorado
• 2nd: #17 Miracle Of Love
• 3rd: #6 Tannhauser

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained King Colorado ($14) ran out a strong mile at Eagle Farm up in grade after winning a Kembla Grange maiden to score an impressive upset in the 2023 J.J. Atkins results at Eagle Farm thanks to a peach of a ride by Jason Collett.

The official JJ Atkins 2023 results & finishing order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday June 10, 2023.

Ladbrokes JJ Atkins Betting

Futures Ladbrokes 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 three winners each for Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller from 2010 – 2023.

Favourites in JJ Atkins betting have a strong recent record in the race with seven winning since 2010 including Sacred Elixir ($5 2016), The Autumn Sun ($2.45 in 2018), Rothfire ($3.50 in 2020) and most recently Converge ($2.90 in 2021).

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. Converge (2nd in 2021) followed by the double winning filly Sheeza Belter (1st in 2022) are the latest JJ Atkins winners to come out of the BRC Sires’.

There was a notable J.J. Atkins upset in 2023 with King Colorado winning as a $14 chance in betting off a winning Kembla Grange maiden.

2023 Ladbrokes JJ Atkins Odds

The season’s best JJ Atkins 2023 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.

Ladbrokes JJ Atkins Field

Sacred Elixir (2016) saluted for the punters in the JJ Atkins. 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.

Earlier, a good winter lead-up into the JJ Atkins field is the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic (1200m) held at the Gold Coast on Hollindale Stakes Day and Sizzling (2012) was the last to do the double.

The final acceptances feature many interstate-trained visitors who have a dominant recent record in the race winning nine of the editions from 2011 – 2023, 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.

2023 Ladbrokes JJ Atkins Field

The official Ladbrokes JJ Atkins Plate 2023 Final Field & Barriers will be posted here once released on the Tuesday of Stradbroke Handicap Day.

The Ladbrokes JJ Atkins 2023 final field is now out with the Chris Waller-trained favourite Tannhauser drawn favourably in barrier six with James McDonald to ride.

2023 Ladbrokes JJ Atkins First Acceptances

The first acceptances for the JJ Atkins 2023 are taken on a Wednesday, 10 days out from the event and will be available in full below.

The Ladbrokes JJ Atkins 2023 first acceptances are now out leaving 25 two-year-old hopefuls led in all-in betting by Peter & Paul Snowden’s Extreme Choice colt Make A Call and the Chris Waller-trained Dundeel colt Tannhauser.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 JJ Atkins Nominations

The early JJ Atkins 2023 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 official 2023 JJ Atkins nominations closed on Tuesday the 2nd of May, 2023 and attracted 99 two-year-olds led in all-in betting by the Michael Freedman-trained Ducasse, Team Snowden’s progressive colt Godzilla and the untapped Chris Waller-trained Zoustar colt Kandinsky Abstract.

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.

The 2021 JJ Atkins form held the following autumn with the winner Converge taking out the 2022 Randwick Guineas before a Rosehill Guineas second.

In 2022 the JJ Atkins winning filly Sheeza Belta returned in the spring to win Sydney’s Group 2 $500,000 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m).

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 with Sheeza Belter (2022) the last to do the double.
• Favourites have a strong record saluting for the punters.
• Before Sheeza Belter (2022) 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.

2023 JJ Atkins Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive JJ Atkins 2023 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.

2023 JJ Atkins Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive JJ Atkins 2023 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.

• To Win: #4 Make A Call ($8.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Top edition of the JJ Atkins with a host of in-form youngsters with genuine claims at the title. Have landed on Make A Call at a nice price to atone for his last start sixth here in the Group 2 BRC Sires’ over 1400m. The Extreme Choice colt is from a top stable of 2yos – Peter & Paul Snowden – and should see out the mile. He was only 1.59 lengths beaten last time out after a tough run from barrier 15 of 18. Prior to that was fifth in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) in Sydney. Also saw the 1600m when runner-up in the Fernhill run in the mud over the autumn. Is fit, draws a bit better here and can surprise a few.

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 until the 2022 victory by Sheeza Belter ($4.20).

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

Past JJ Atkins Winners

Recent JJ Atkins winners and place-getters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.