Bookmakers are taking zero risks with the gifted Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Tentyris, as the multi-time Group 1-winning three-year-old heads into Saturday’s 2026 TJ Smith Stakes at Royal Randwick as the horse to beat.
Dual Group 1 winning three-year-old Tentyris is considered the sprinter to beat in Sydney’s TJ Smith this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
As a centrepiece of the prestigious Day 1 of The Championships, the Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) headlines a massive 10-race program featuring four elite-level contests.
This year’s edition has attracted a compact but high-quality field of nine sprinting specialists, with the Street Boss colt Tentyris installed as the $3 favourite at Ladbrokes.
Starting from the inside rail in barrier one, Tentyris is bidding to become the first three-year-old to capture the TJ Smith since Trapeze Artist in 2018.
This weekend also marks his highly anticipated Sydney debut.
Tentyris is out to be the first three-year-old TJ Smith Stakes winner since Trapeze Artist back in 2018!
The colt reached elite heights in the spring by taking out the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) against his own age group, before making a statement against the older sprinters when resuming to win the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington.
While he was a beaten favourite when finishing fifth in the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) last start—trailing the winner Caballus by only 1.5 lengths—he now heads north in search of interstate glory.
Jockey Mark Zahra, who won this race in 2019 with Santa Ana Lane for Anthony Freedman, retains the mount.
On the second line of betting at $4.50 is the ultra-consistent Jimmysstar for Ciaron Maher.
The six-year-old Per Incanto gelding also draws close to the fence in gate two.
Jimmysstar proved his versatility last campaign with back-to-back wins in the Russell Balding and the CF Orr Stakes.
After a somewhat disappointing seventh-place finish as favourite in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) on March 21, he returns to a track where he has performed well previously.
Regular partner Ethan Brown reunites with the horse, looking to exploit a strong second-up record (5:2-2-1).
The market remains wide open with three other speedsters under double figures, including the Chris Waller-trained mare Joliestar ($4.60).
Waller, who famously won three straight TJ Smiths with Nature Strip (2020–22), has the five-year-old daughter of Zoustar firing.
Joliestar is chasing a hat-trick following dominant wins in the Expressway Stakes and the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick.
She returns to the six-furlong trip, a distance where she boasts five wins from 11 starts.
Rounding out the primary fancies are former The Everest champion Giga Kick ($7) and the Team Hawkes-trained Briasa ($9).
Giga Kick is third-up on Saturday following a close fourth in the Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on March 7.
Meanwhile, Briasa is a 1200m specialist who narrowly missed out in a blanket finish in The Galaxy on Slipper Day, finishing only a quarter-length off the winner.
The Bjorn Baker-trained Overpass ($13.00) is the pick of the outsiders, entering the fray fresh off two impressive trial wins in Sydney.
The 2026 TJ Smith Stakes is scheduled as Randwick Race 7 at 3:55pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race program.
2026 TJ Smith Stakes Field & Barriers
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Barrier | Weight | Age | Sex | Last Starts | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmysstar | Ethan Brown | Ciaron Maher | 2 | 58.5kg | 6 | G | 311×7 | $8,356,272 |
| 2 | Briasa | Tyler Schiller | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | 8 | 58.5kg | 5 | G | 189×4 | $4,433,225 |
| 3 | Giga Kick | Zac Purton | Clayton Douglas | 6 | 58.5kg | 6 | G | 11×54 | $14,931,600 |
| 4 | Overpass | Joshua Parr | Bjorn Baker | 7 | 58.5kg | 7 | G | x423x | $12,456,500 |
| 5 | Mazu | Ms Rachel King | Joseph Pride | 9 | 58.5kg | 7 | G | 93×33 | $10,700,700 |
| 6 | Joliestar | Unknown | Chris Waller | 5 | 56.5kg | 5 | M | 53×11 | $7,189,725 |
| 7 | Tentyris | Mark Zahra | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 1 | 56.5kg | 3 | C | 11×15 | $2,633,245 |
| 8 | Magic Time | Michael Dee | Grahame Begg | 3 | 56.5kg | 6 | M | 302×9 | $4,505,375 |
| 9 | Skybird | John Allen | Mitchell Freedman | 4 | 56.5kg | 5 | M | x69x5 | $1,301,875 |
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