TJ Smith Stakes Tips, Best Bets, Field & More 2026

The Autumn Racing Carnival is in full swing, and we see races like the TJ Smith Stakes take centre stage. The TJ Smith Stakes is one of the biggest Group One races on the calendar, and we see some of the best sprinters in this race each year. The race is contested over a distance of 1,200m, and there is a cool $3 million worth of prize money on the line.

Best TJ Smith Stakes Betting Sites

Here are some quick facts you should be across for the TJ Smith Stakes:

The TJ Smith Stakes takes place right in the thick of Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival, on a day known as Day One of The Championships. Along with the TJ Smith Stakes, we see the Doncaster Mile, Sires Produce Stakes and Australian Derby all raced on the same day at Randwick Racecourse.

The 1,200m event always brings out some of the best sprinters in the country, thanks to its iconic status and $3 million in prize money that’s on the line. Some of the best ever have won the TJ Smith Stakes in the past, names you would probably know like Black Caviar, Nature Strip and more.

The race doesn’t have as long a history as some of the other Group One races on the calendar, but it has still been around since 1997, when it was known as the Endeavor Stakes, and the inaugural edition of the TJ Smith Stakes was won by Mahogany. Originally, the race held Listed status.

A couple of years later, in 1999, the race was renamed to the TJ Smith Stakes to honour horse trainer Thomas John Smith. It didn’t take long for the race’s status to be upgraded, as we constantly saw high-quality fields for the event. By 2005, the TJ Smith Stakes had been granted Group One status.

Are you on the hunt for TJ Smith Stakes tips or general horse racing tips? Well, you’re in luck because we have all the tips and best bets you could ever need. We cover some of the biggest races on the calendar, like our TJ Smith Stakes tips, Golden Slipper tips, Melbourne Cup tips, The Everest tips and more.

At Australianbettingsites.net.au, we also provide daily horse racing tips, so there’s always something happening for you to check out. Our daily tips include our three most confident plays of the day. When putting together our tips, we look into every runner in the field using the form guide and see which runner stands out from the crowd.

We provide all different kinds of tips, including tips and tricks for betting on the TJ Smith Stakes, so you can have as positive an experience as possible:

• Find Value Odds - The odds give you an indication of the runners that are more likely to perform well in the TJ Smith Stakes. It isn’t the only aspect that you should look into, though, and we see massive roughies win horse races all the time. So, you might be able to find some value by looking beyond the favourite.
• Use Different Promotions - Betting sites bonuses can really help you get more bang for your buck. Different bookies may also offer different horse racing promotions, so if you have accounts with multiple bookies, it becomes a lot easier to take advantage of everything on offer.
• Have a Plan - It’s a good idea to have a plan before you start betting for the day. Think about aspects like your bet limit, stake amounts, bet types and more. By having a plan in place, you are more likely to stick with it and limit the chances of letting things get a little out of control.
• Look into Key Form Indicators - For races like the TJ Smith Stakes, there’s a lot of historical data you can look into. This data can paint a picture, and patterns emerge of the type of runner that has won this race in the past. While it isn’t a foolproof method, making betting decisions based on facts and statistics is always recommended.

You’ve got your choice of many different horse racing betting sites in Australia, including new betting sites that are popping up all the time. You don’t have to stick with just one bookie, either. In fact, having an account with multiple bookies allows you to easily take advantage of different promotions, odds and more.

For a race that is as big as the TJ Smith Stakes, you’ll find there are plenty of betting markets to choose from. It’s easy to stick with what you know, but if you’re ready to try something new, you’ve got options. Before you try out a new bet type, you must have at least a basic idea of what is involved.

We go through some of the most popular TJ Smith Stakes bet types and explain them here:

As one of the biggest races during Sydney’s Autumn Racing Carnival, we always see some of the best sprinters in the country head to Randwick Racecourse for the TJ Smith Stakes. It’s a quality field year in and year out, and the final field is confirmed a couple of days before the race each year.

Once the final field and barrier draw have been confirmed, it’s a good time to look into the form. The form guide and any key form indicators can reveal patterns throughout the history of the race and potentially point you in the direction of the next TJ Smith Stakes winner. The form guide is essential viewing before placing any bets.

See which sprinters took part in the latest TJ Smith Stakes here:

By not checking around for the best odds, you could be leaving easy money on the table. We find that some of the time, different bookies will offer different odds for each runner (and market) in the TJ Smith Stakes. So, if you have the time, you should certainly check around to see which bookie is offering the best odds.

While the increase in potential payout may only be minor, every little bit helps. Also, if you are a big bettor or like to bet on roughies, the difference between the lowest and highest odds can really make a difference. The work it takes to shop around isn’t that time-consuming either.

One of our recommendations is to make use of an odds comparison tool. These tools display the fixed win/ place odds of each runner in the TJ Smith Stakes in one place. While the tool may not include the odds from all your favourite bookies, it should be a good enough selection to limit the amount of manual work required.

Another tip is to start checking with bookies that have a reputation for consistently offering some of the most competitive odds in the market. Bookies like Bet365 and Dabble are great options to start with, and if you don’t have a lot of time before the start of the race, you know you’re getting decent odds with them.

The 2025 TJ Smith Stakes was taken out by Briasa, who was one of the more favoured runners in what was a fairly open field. The 4YO gelding finished just 0.2L ahead of the pack after jumping from barrier three. The Bjorn Baker-trained Overpass couldn’t hold on to first place and was just pipped by Briasa in the closing stages.

A $31 chance, Headwall, wrapped up the final minor placings after jumping from barrier seven, and he finished 1.4L off the leader. The pre-race favourite, Joliestar, wasn’t able to deliver for bettors in the TJ Smith Stakes, with the mare finishing ninth out of 13 runners, 2L off the winner. 

We have a full breakdown of where each runner finished in the TJ Smith Stakes right here:

Now is the time to relive all the action as it played out in the TJ Smith Stakes:

Some of the best 3YOs have won the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, and we take a look at the recent history of winners here:

Before you go, we have one last section for you. We have gone through all the most commonly asked questions about the TJ Smith Stakes and answered them all here. So, if you have any last-minute questions, this is the section for you.