Top 5 JJ Atkins winners
The JJ Atkins (1600m) is a Group 1 in Brisbane for the two-year-olds and has been won by some champion gallopers over the years. See who made our list of top 5 The JJ Atkins winners since 1990.
In modern times, the feature race has been taken out by some outstanding gallopers.
Top 5 The JJ Atkins winners.
1. MAHONGANY (1993)
One of the most versatile gallopers that Australian racing has seen in the last 25 years, Mahogany first tasted Group 1 success in the VRC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) as a two-year-old before winning the JJ Atkins when it was known as the Castlemaine Stakes back in 1993. The Lloyd Williams owned galloper graduated to longer trips and won the Victoria Derby (2500m) that year by a five-length margin but would develop into a sprinter later on in his career, claiming the Lightning Stakes (1000m) on two occasions. He was the Australian Horse of the Year in 1993/94.
2. THE AUTUMN SUN (2018)
The Autumn Sun raced just nine times for eight wins, with five of those coming at the highest level. He broke through in the J.J.Atkins in the winter of 2018 before dominating his age group in the spring, taking out the Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas (1600m). He returned in the autumn of 2019, producing an amazing come from behind win in the Randwick Guineas (1600m) and then bowed out a winner in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) before heading to stud.
3. DARCI BRAHMA (2005)
The New Zealand galloper, Darci Brahma, took out the JJ Atkins when it was known as the T.J.Smith in 2005. A winner of 10 of his 19 starts with those including a further four at the highest level in his homeland, Darci Brahma came from well back in 2005 to defeat Ready As. He just missed out on further Group 1 success when looming as the winner in the 2006 Australian Guineas (1600m), only for Apache Cat to fight back late in the piece in the Flemington Group 1.
4. FREEMASON (1999)
Freemason was the JJ Atkins winner in 1999 and while he only won seven of his 62 starts, he was thereabouts throughout his career in some of the major races. The consistent performer raced in the all-cerise colours of the Ingham owners and enjoyed racing in Queensland, taking out the Queensland Derby (2400m) in 2000. He is best remembered for a stirring win in the 2003 Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill, engaging in an epic battle with the mighty Northerly, before somehow getting the upper hand on the champion late in the piece.
5. PRESS STATEMENT (2015)
Chris Waller has used this as a target race for his budding two-year-olds and won this race in 2015 with Press Statement. Like his stablemate, The Autumn Sun, Press Statement had a short but sweet career, racing on 11 occasions for six wins. He retuned at three to claim the Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill, while he was successful at Caulfield in the Caulfield Guineas (1600m). He bumped into Winx in 2016, running 3rd to the great mare in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) before an early retirement.