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TJ Smith Stakes

Australia | FEATURE RACE GUIDE

History

CHAIN OF LIGHTNING winning the JAMES SQUIRE T J SMITH STAKES at Randwick in Australia.
CHAIN OF LIGHTNING winning the JAMES SQUIRE T J SMITH STAKES at Randwick in Australia. Picture: Steve Hart

The TJ Smith Stakes is a Group 1 sprint race for Open Class horses conducted by the Australian Turf Club at Randwick.

The TJ Smith Stakes is only a relatively new race first run in 1997 and won by the great horse Mahogany.

The TJ Smith Stakes is run over 1200m under Weight For Age conditions.

It was originally called the Endeavour Stakes, but was changed to the TJ Smith Stakes in 1999.

Eight fillies and mares have won the TJ Smith. The mare winners are Spinning Hill (2003), Shamekha (2005), Black Caviar (2011, 2013) and Chain Of Lightning (2024). The filly winners are La Baraka (1998), Dilly Dally (2004) and Melito (2010).

Only six 3yos have won it - La Baraka (1998), Shy Hero (2000), Century Kid (2001), Dilly Dally (2004), Melito (2010) and Trapeze Artist (2018).

The trainers have spread the TJ around with Gai Waterhouse winning the race in her father's honour three times and the Hawkes' joined her with Chautauqua's three wins. Chris Waller did the same thing after Nature Strip's three peat but Peter Moody went to the top after Chain Of Lightning's win.

Same goes for the jockeys with three successes for Luke Nolen joining Tommy Berry on the big grey and James McDonald from Nature Strip.

Six Lightning Stakes winners won the TJ Smith in the same preparation - Mahogany (1997), Apache Cat (2008), Black Caviar (2011/2013), Chautauqua (2016) and Nature Strip (2021).

There have been some upsets through its existence with eight winners taking the prize at $17 or more which isn't that usual in WFA sprints.

In 2011, Hay List got three lengths clear on Black Caviar and for the first time the great mare looked in trouble but she wasn't to be denied. It was a great edition.

In 2016 Chautauqua went on to Hong Kong where he'd come from last to win the Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin. A year on, Chautauqua won in remarkable fashion to be the first three time winner.

Santa Ana Lane scored his fifth G1 win, this one at the odds of $7.50. The previous four were Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes ($26), The Goodwood ($26), Stradbroke Handicap ($13) and VRC Sprint Classic ($10).

The 2018 TJ Smith quinella would repeat (in reverse order) in the 2018 Everest.

However in 2021, the TJ Smith trifecta would be exactly replicated in The Everest six months later (Nature Strip/Masked Crusader/Eduardo).

Nature Strip went to second all-time prizemoney earner in Australian racing history by winning his third TJ Smith in 2022 before having global success in England.

In 2023 the Golden Eagle winner defeated the Everest winner.

The 2024 TJ Smith Stakes was worth $3,000,000.

The multiple winners of the TJ Smith Stakes are Black Caviar (2011, 2013), Chautauqua (2015, 2016, 2017) and Nature Strip (2020, 2021, 2022).

Other notable winners include Mahogany (1997), Spinning Hill (2003), Apache Cat (2008), Takeover Target (2009), Lankan Rupee (2014), Trapeze Artist (2018), Santa Ana Lane (2019) and I Wish I Win (2023).

The 2024 TJ Smith Stakes was won by Chain Of Lightning from Bella Nipotina and I Wish I Win.


Racing and Sports

Previous TJ Smith Stakes Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
CHAIN OF LIGHTNING (AUS) 5M
FIGHTING SUN (AUS) - MAGIC ART (AUS) PERUGINO (USA)
DAMIAN LANE 56.5 PETER G MOODY & KATHERINE COLEMAN 2
I WISH I WIN (NZ) 4G
SAVABEEL (AUS) - MAKE A WISH (NZ) PINS (AUS)
L NOLEN 58.5 PETER G MOODY 12
NATURE STRIP (AUS) 7G
NICCONI (AUS) - STRIKELINE (AUS) DESERT SUN (GB)
JAMES MCDONALD 58.5 CHRIS WALLER 11
NATURE STRIP (AUS) 6G
NICCONI (AUS) - STRIKELINE (AUS) DESERT SUN (GB)
JAMES MCDONALD 58.5 CHRIS WALLER 4
NATURE STRIP (AUS) 5G
NICCONI (AUS) - STRIKELINE (AUS) DESERT SUN (GB)
JAMES MCDONALD 58.5 CHRIS WALLER 1
SANTA ANA LANE (AUS) 6G
LOPE DE VEGA (IRE) - FAST FLEET (AUS) FASTNET ROCK (AUS)
M J ZAHRA 58.5 ANTHONY FREEDMAN 8
TRAPEZE ARTIST (AUS) 3C
SNITZEL (AUS) - TREPPES (AUS) DOMESDAY (AUS)
T ANGLAND 56.5 GERALD RYAN 8
CHAUTAUQUA (AUS) 6G
ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - LOVELY JUBLY (AUS) LION HUNTER (AUS)
TOMMY BERRY 58.5 MICHAEL & WAYNE & JOHN HAWKES 11
CHAUTAUQUA (AUS) 5G
ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - LOVELY JUBLY (AUS) LION HUNTER (AUS)
TOMMY BERRY 58.5 MICHAEL & WAYNE & JOHN HAWKES 11
CHAUTAUQUA (AUS) 4G
ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - LOVELY JUBLY (AUS) LION HUNTER (AUS)
TOMMY BERRY 58.5 MICHAEL & WAYNE & JOHN HAWKES 8
LANKAN RUPEE (AUS) 4G
REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) - ESTELLE COLLECTION (NZ) STRAVINSKY (USA)
C NEWITT 58.5 MICK PRICE 1
BLACK CAVIAR (AUS) 6M
BEL ESPRIT (AUS) - HELSINGE (AUS) DESERT SUN (GB)
L NOLEN 56.5 PETER G MOODY 1
MASTER OF DESIGN (AUS) 6H
REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) - URGE TO MERGE (AUS) LAST TYCOON (IRE)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 58.5 DAVID PAYNE 4
BLACK CAVIAR (AUS) 4M
BEL ESPRIT (AUS) - HELSINGE (AUS) DESERT SUN (GB)
L NOLEN 56.5 PETER G MOODY 5
MELITO (AUS) 3F
REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) - CLOISTER (AUS) MARAUDING (NZ)
B SHINN 54.5 GERALD RYAN 7
TAKEOVER TARGET (AUS) 9G
CELTIC SWING (GB) - SHADY STREAM (AUS) ARCHREGENT (CAN)
N RAWILLER 58.5 J A JANIAK 6
APACHE CAT (AUS) 5G
LION CAVERN (USA) - TENNESSEE BLAZE (AUS) WHISKEY ROAD (USA)
C W BROWN 58.5 GREG EURELL 5
BENTLEY BISCUIT (AUS) 5G
PEINTRE CELEBRE (USA) - TYCOON JOY (AUS) LAST TYCOON (IRE)
N RAWILLER 58.5 MS G WATERHOUSE 7
RED OOG (AUS) 6G
BRIEF TRUCE (USA) - MARY JULIA (AUS) ZOFFANY (USA)
HUGH BOWMAN 57.5 JOSEPH PRIDE 4
SHAMEKHA (AUS) 4M
SECRET SAVINGS (USA) - LIFETIME STORY (AUS) DON'T SAY HALO (USA)
D BEADMAN 55.0 MS G WATERHOUSE 2
DILLY DALLY (AUS) 3F
RUBITON (AUS) - FARICCA (AUS) MILLIONAIRE (IRE)
K MCEVOY 53.0 LEON MACDONALD 5
SPINNING HILL (AUS) 6M
DOLPHIN STREET (FR) - INCLINE (AUS) CENTURY (AUS)
D BEASLEY 55.0 G H WALTER 11
PHOENIX PARK (AUS) 4G
ROYAL ACADEMY (USA) - BLETCHWYN (AUS) BLETCHINGLY (AUS)
B YORK 57.5 MS G WATERHOUSE 11
CENTURY KID (NZ) 3G
CENTAINE (AUS) - ZEFFI (NZ) POMPEII COURT (USA)
L BEASLEY 55.5 GRAEME ROGERSON 4
SHY HERO (NZ) 3G
LAST TYCOON (IRE) - PRUNOTTO (AUS) PERSIAN HEIGHTS (GB)
J MORRIS 56.0 PATRICK WEBSTER 5

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