While Saturday's G1 JJ Atkins S. at Eagle Farm will be the first edition of the race run at 1400 metres since 1954, it shapes as a crucial stepping stone for a few of the more promising 2-year-olds in the land, as it has since it was upgraded to Group 1 status in 1985.
The race itself has had a few different guises over the years, starting out as the Claret S. way back in 1893, through to being called the Castlemaine S., then the QTC Classic, before being named the TJ Smith Classic until 2013, when it changed to its current name.
It has been Queensland's only Group 1 2-year-old race since 2006 and in 2007, it took the step from being a quality 2-year-old handicap to being run at set weights. Since then, its appeal to emerging 2-year-olds has only strengthened, and in the past five years Chris Waller's subsequent Group 1-winning 3-year-olds, Press Statement and The Autumn Sun, have added their names to the honour board.
The Autumn Sun | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
That pair has been able to parlay that invaluable 2-year-old Group 1 victory not only into further Group 1 success, but also into breeding careers at Vinery Stud and Arrowfield Stud respectively. While it might be a stretch to call the JJ Atkins S. a 'stallion-making' race, some high-quality future stallions have launched themselves into the Group 1 strata with wins in the race.
When Luskin Star (Kaoru Star) won the race in 1977, he was already a racing megastar, with the victory his eighth of nine starts in an amazing 2-year-old season. He had previously won future Group 1 races the Golden Slipper S., the AJC Sires' Produce S., the Champagne S. and the QTC Sires' Produce S. He would go on to become a sire of significant influence in Australia, producing 31 stakes winners, including three Group 1 winners.
Luskin Star
In 1979, another future star stallion in Zephyr Zip (NZ) won the race, while in 1988, Zeditave, a brilliant sprinter before becoming an influential stallion, added his name to the winners' list.
In the 1990s, the race was won by champion racehorses Slight Chance (NZ) (Centaine) and Mahogany (Last Tycoon {Ire}) as well as by Mossman, who would go on to make an exceptional sire at Vinery Stud, with 41 stakes winners, five at Group 1 level.
Show A Heart won the race in 2000, one of his four Group 1 victories, before making his mark at Glenlogan Park, producing 25 stakes winners, including Group 1 winners Heart Of Dreams, Woorim and Toorak Toff.
Darci Brahma (NZ) won the first of his five Group 1 races in the then TJ Smith Classic in 2006, and in his time at The Oaks Stud has produced 46 stakes winners, including 10 at Group 1 level.
In 2013, Sizzling won the final edition under the TJ Smith moniker and went on to a post-racing career at stud at Newgate, while since then, as mentioned, Press Statement and The Autumn Sun have followed him into the breeding barn. In fact, every colt to have won the race this century has gone on to stand at stud with the exception of Prince Fawaz (Fastnet Rock), who won it last year.
"In fact, every colt to have won the race this century has gone on to stand at stud with the exception of Prince Fawaz, who won it last year." - Bren O'Brien
But it is not just those who win the JJ Atkins S. that go on to have an influence in the breeding ranks. Zousain was runner-up to The Autumn Sun in 2018 and starts his career at Widden Stud, alongside his own star sire Zoustar, who was also second in the race in 2013. The year after that, now Darley stallion Brazen Beau was another to have been a JJ Atkins runner-up.
Brazen Beau | Standing at Darley
Class of 2000
Of those on the honour roll, only Press Statement is likely to have a runner in the JJ Atkins on Saturday. The first-season sire has Spokesman set to line up. That colt, like his sire, is trained by Waller, who is seeking his fourth win in the race.
Of the top five in the market, there are two fillies, a gelding and two colts. The G3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic winner Wisdom Of Water, who is trained by Toby and Trent Edmonds, can give his sire Headwater his first Group 1 winner.
The other colt near the top of the betting boards is Wild Ruler (Snitzel), who looks a ready-made stallion should he put a Group 1 win on the resume on Saturday. He is by Australia's three-time champion stallion out of an American family with plenty of black type. He was a $525,000 yearling and could be the latest of a long line of stallions to come out of the Peter and Paul Snowden stables.
Wisdom Of Water | Image by Albert Perez courtesy of AAP Photos
Peter Snowden won this race with Benfica when he was training for Darley back in 2011, but he is yet to win it in partnership with his son.
Another Waller runner, Overlord, by much-missed leading sire Sebring out of dual Group 1-winning mare Red Tracer (Dane Shadow), also looks an excellent stallion prospect should he get that Group 1 win.
The decision to shorten the race was brought about by the issues caused by COVID-19 and is an interesting one. It puts a slightly different complexion on things but given the Australian thoroughbred industry's love of young and fast horses, it might prove a valuable change should one of the colts win the race.
