Queensland Oaks Results & Replays
JJ Atkins Tips & Preview 2022
Looking for JJ Atkins (1600m) tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2022 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm.
JJ ATKINS BETTING SNAPSHOT
The two-year-olds get their shot at Group 1 glory in the JJ Atkins Stakes and it is tight at the top of the betting with three youngsters vying for favouritism with Palmerbet.
It is the quinella horse out of last Saturday’s The Phoenix (1500m) at Eagle Farm that head the market with the winner out of that lead up, Political Debate, at the $4.20 quote, just ahead of Sharp’N’Smart at the $4.50.
Sheeza Belter is one of three fillies in the race and is at $5 after her win in the Group 2 Sires Produce (1400m), while Lethal Thoughts ($9), Brosnan ($13), Brereton ($15) and Owen Country ($15) head the rest of the 19-horse field (including one emergency).
JJ ATKINS FORM ANALYSIS
Six horses come out of The Phoenix and Political Debate settled midfield in that race before edging out Sharp N Smart. The latter was first up off a six-week break and settled back from the wide barrier before peeling off the fastest late splits.
Those two put a gap on Ringmaster, who worked home nicely for 3rd. Hard to see any of the three that finished further back making up the required ground. The winner went 4.7 lengths faster than standard.
One of the key lead ups to the JJ Atkins has always been the Sires Produce at Eagle Farm with 13 of the past 20 winners coming out of that race, including Converge, who was runner-up last year before claiming the JJ Atkins.
History and figures are with the likes of Sheeza Balter, who went 7.5 lengths faster than standard benchmark, which are the best figures that any horse in this race has produced in their careers to date. The former Perth galloper was switched to the Snowden stables after his win in the $250,000 Magic Millions (1200m) at Pinjarra earlier this year.
Brereton was stepping up from the 1000m that day and was caught wide but stuck on well for 3rd. Green Shadows settled a mile back after drawing wide and caught the eye with a nice 5th but will have to do it from out wide again. Twin Stars had a couple of excuses and was 6th.
I would think that the winner out of the JJ Atkins comes out of one of those two races. The figures do point that way. However, some youngsters that are up in class from some big stables can’t be overlooked.
Chris Waller has won this race on three occasions and has Political Debate, Robusto, Amati and Basquiat. Amati went 1.8 lengths slower than standard when runner-up at Randwick over the 1400m last time and worth noting that two of the last four winners of the JJ Atkins were up from the 1400m at that track including the Waller-trained The Autumn Sun in 2018.
Lethal Thoughts comes up from Flemington for the Maher Eustace stable and was 3rd behind Brosnan in a Super VOBIS race. That pair will need to produce a personal best but aren’t without a chance.
JJ ATKINS TIPS & BEST BETS
We should see a truly run race with the likes of Cocobrew Express, Heroic Son and Lethal Thoughts possibly looking to cross from their wide barriers. Basquet and a few others will tuck in handy. Sunny conditions prevail and a Good track likely. Inclined to go with Sheeza Balter, who loved the bigger track at Eagle Farm last time as well as the dry, overcoming a wide run to win comfortably. She draws in a similar position again with Willy Pike sticking on board. No knock on The Phoenix form and suspect that Sharp’N’Smart can turn the tables on Political Debate but going with the filly just ahead of those two.
