TJ Smith Stakes 2025

Ladbrokes Tip: Last start winners have a top TJ Smith Stakes record in recent years

The next edition of the $3 million TJ Smith Stakes runs on Saturday April 5, 2025 at Royal Randwick. 

2025 TJ Smith Stakes Odds

Our all-in TJ Smith Stakes odds and futures betting on the possible sprinters heading towards the Randwick feature in April are listed below.

The TJ Smith Stakes is one of four Group 1 races held at Royal Randwick Racecourse as part of Doncaster Mile Day on Day 1 of The Championships. A highlight of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, The Championships runs across two Saturdays in early April and features eight top level races.

Three-time TJ Smith Stakes winner Nature Strip (pictured in 2022). Photo: Steve Hart.

Along with the sprinters facing off in the TJ Smith Stakes the other Group 1 races on the Randwick card for Doncaster Day are the Doncaster Mile, Australian Derby and ATC Inglis’ Sires Produce Stakes.

There are no age restrictions for the TJ Smith Stakes that is run over 1200m and offers a total of $3 million in prize money as of 2023. The event is run under weight-for-age conditions.

The prizemoney for the 2020 TJ Smith Stakes was reduced to $1.25 million with $725,000 reserved for the winner due to the growing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Australian racing before being reinstated at $2.5 million for the 2021 edition and boosted to $3 million ahead of the 2023 edition.

Each autumn the winners of the Premiere Stakes, Roman Consul Stakes, Challenge Stakes, and The Galaxy are exempt from TJ Smith Stakes ballot.

Often sprinters come off Melbourne form in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) down the Flemington straight to tackle the TJ Smith Stakes and the double was last achieved by Lankan Rupee (2014).

In 2023 I Wish I Win improved on a third in the Newmarket Handicap to win the TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney.

The 2021 TJ Smith Stakes was won by the defending champion Nature Strip who went on to win that spring’s now $20 million The Everest race. Nature Strip returned in 2022 to emulate Chautauqua (2015-17) in winning a third straight edition of the TJ in Sydney.

Nature Strip started favourite in the 2023 TJ Smith Stakes but could only manage to run fourth behind the Peter Moody-trained winner I Wish I Win.

Moody posted his fourth TJ Smith Stakes win in 2024 training upset winner Chain Of Lightning for her success in partnership with Katherine Coleman while his 2023 champ I Wish I Win ran third.

The 2024 TJ Smith Stakes form was franked with the runner-up Bella Nipotina going on to win a host of subsequent Group 1 races including most famously that year’s $20 million The Everest in the spring in Sydney.

TJ Smith Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday April 5, 2025
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $3 million
• First Run: 1997

TJ Smith Stakes Betting

TJ Smith Stakes betting favours the season’s top sprinters that have proven Group 1 form over the 1200m in either Sydney or Melbourne.

No TJ Smith Stakes winner had come off a run worse than fourth since Red Oog (2006) until Santa Ana Lane (2019) whose last start was a Newmarket Handicap fifth, and in that time five last start winners have taken it out.

Newmarket Handicap and William Reid Stakes winners often top the TJ Smith Stakes odds and favourites have a gun record in the Sydney feature.

Seven of the TJ Smith Stakes favourites from 2008 – 2024 got the job done including three-time champion Nature Strip (2020-22) as well as Lankan Rupee (2014) and superstar mare Black Caviar who jumped odds-on in both 2011 and 2013.

There was an upset in 2023 with I Wish I Win saluting at TJ Smith Stakes odds of $9. He ran third when attempting back-to-back wins in 2024 behind his upset stablemate Chain Of Lightning ($21).

TJ Smith Stakes Field

The TJ Smith Stakes race field attracts various numbers each season with the largest in recent years being 15 starters in 2014 when Lankan Rupee saluted for the punters and 2016 when Chautauqua won his second on the trot. In 2017 Chautauqua made history with a third straight victory, again defeating 14 rivals in the TJ Smith Stakes field.

Chautauqua is a triple TJ Smith Stakes winner taking out the race three times from 2015-17. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

Horses come into the field via many different autumn sprint lead-ups including the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap and Group 1 William Reid Stakes in Melbourne; those two races producing seven of the TJ Smith Stakes winners from 2011 – 2024.

In 2022 Nature Strip won his third consecutive TJ Smith Stakes on the back of a third in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes, which was his first time finishing out of the top two since the 2020 The Everest.

In 2024 the upset TJ Smith Stakes winning mare Chain Of Lightning came via a lead-up run in Rosehill’s Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes.

TJ Smith Stakes nominations close in early to mid-February followed by first acceptances a month later.

Final TJ Smith Stakes acceptances attract a fee of $55,000 to connections and close on the Tuesday before the race when the field and barrier draw is released by Racing NSW.

2025 TJ Smith Stakes Field

The TJ Smith Stakes 2025 field and barrier draw is released on Tuesday April 1, 2025 and will be provided below.

2025 TJ Smith Stakes Nominations

Nominations for the 2025 TJ Smith Stakes close at midday on Tuesday the 11th of February 2025.

The 2025 TJ Smith Stakes nominations attracted 69 leading autumn sprinters with futures markets headed by Chris Waller’s Coolmore Stud Stakes champ Switzerland.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2025 TJ Smith Stakes First Acceptances

First Acceptances for the 2024 TJ Smith Stakes close at midday on Tuesday the 11th of March 2025.

TJ Smith Stakes Tips

TJ Smith Stakes tips include looking for last start winners in the Group 1 autumn lead-up sprints and locking in betting doubles like the Newmarket – TJ Smith Stakes double.

Last start winners dominate the TJ Smith Stakes tips as do the favourites who have a tidy record in the classic in recent years.

In-form fillies and mares proven at elite level are also a good TJ Smith Stakes betting tip with four beating home the boys from 2010 – 2024 most recently Chain Of Lightning (2024).

Of course, trainer Chris Waller and jockey James McDonald have the dominant recent record in the TJ Smith Stakes results with three straight wins thanks to super sprinter Nature Strip.

2025 TJ Smith Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive TJ Smith Stakes 2025 betting tips will be detailed below with the sprinters to back and sack for the season the week of the race.

• To Win: TBD

TJ Smith Stakes Form Guide

The TJ Smith Stakes form guide shows the saddlecloth numbers, barriers, jockeys and trainers of all the runners in the field. Also doing the lead-up TJ Smith Stakes form can be helpful with last start Group 1 winners dominating the race in recent years.

There is a wide spread of winners across all the TJ Smith Stakes barriers however the standout gate producing six winners since 1998 is barrier five. Barrier 11 follows with five victories from 1998 – 2024, including Chautauqua (2016-17) and Nature Strip for his third in 2022. Barrier eight produced back-to-back TJ Smith Stakes winners in 2018 and 2019 with both Trapeze Artist and Santa Ana Lane saluting from the gate.

The 2022 TJ Smith Stakes form was franked with Nature Strip heading overseas to win England’s Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes by over four lengths at Royal Ascot next start.

The 2023 TJ Smith Stakes winner I Wish I Win franked the form that spring with a second in The Everest results. The TJ runner-up in 2023 was former The Everest champ Giga Kick who went on to win the 2023 All Aged Stakes at his next start followed by a Group 1 Doomben 10,000 victory in Brisbane.

TJ Smith Stakes Form Facts

• Horses coming off a Group 1 Melbourne run have a dominant record in the TJ Smith Stakes results.
• The best TJ Smith Stakes form line is to back a sprinter that ran top three in their lead-up start.
• The Newmarket Handicap has produced more TJ Smith Stakes winners than any other race in the past decade.
• Single-figure hopefuls in TJ Smith Stakes betting are the best bet to make looking at the form and history.

2025 TJ Smith Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive TJ Smith Stakes 2025 Form Guide will be provided below the week of the race.

TJ Smith Stakes Results

Favourites may have a strong recent record in the race but upset TJ Smith Stakes race results have still occurred in recent years including the win by Master Of Design ($31 in 2012).

The other longest priced TJ Smith Stakes winners include Shy Hero ($31 in 2000), Phoenix Park ($61 in 2002), Shamekha ($26 in 2005), and Chain Of Lightning ($21 in 2024).

Other notable TJ Smith Stakes champions in that time include the brilliant speed horse Nature Strip (2020, 2021, 2022); the current race record holder Trapeze Artist (2018); historic three-time champion Chautauqua (2015, 2016, 2017); Black Caviar (2011 & 2013); Takeover Target (2009); and Apache Cat (2008).

Black Caviar (2013) and Chain Of Lightning (2024) are the latest TJ Smith Stakes winning mares both prepared by Peter Moody.

Trapeze Artist (2018) was the last three-year-old TJ Smith Stakes winner.

Recent TJ Smith Stakes Winners

The TJ Smith Stakes winners and placegetters going back to 2001 are listed in the table below.

FAQ

When is the TJ Smith Stakes 2025?

What is the prize money for the TJ Smith Stakes 2025?

$3,000,000

Where is the TJ Smith Stakes 2025?

Randwick Racecourse, Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031.