Untapped sprinter gives the Hawkes team a fourth T J Smith with a grey gelding
Briasa’s coronation as a bona fide star of the Australian sprint scene came at Randwick on Saturday when the untapped four-year-old won the $3 million T J Smith Stakes.
The Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes-trained gelding landed a maiden Group 1 win at just his ninth start when he outgunned many of the best sprinters Australia has to offer.
The four-year-old got home by a head from Group 1 winner Overpass with Headwall leading home a bunched chasing back, a further 1-1/4 lengths back.
The T J Smith Stakes success was the seventh of Briasa’s career, which only started in a Kembla Grange maiden on March 5 last year, and Michael Hawkes said he knew before then that he was something special.
“I’ve just loved him from day one,” he said.
“I’m just lost for words. This is the moment that we dream of with a horse like this.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, we’re not big anymore but we’ve got quality.”
Briasa’s victory atoned for a hard-luck fourth placing in the Group 1 The Galaxy, when he flashed home from last as one of the runs of the day, and jockey Tyler Schiller had the gelding in a much more prominent position from a softer draw at his first try at weight-for-age.
It was only in the final two strides that he nabbed a gallant Overpass and Schiller said the ability to settle closer was significant.
“It makes a difference when you draw a barrier and he’s probably missing one first-up but second-up it’s great to get a barrier,” Schiller said.
“Randwick is more forgiving, and he’s just a very good horse.
“The Hawkes team have maintained him perfectly, they know how to win this race, especially with a grey, I still don’t know his ceiling but he’s got oodles of talent.”
Briasa’s victory was the Hawkes training team’s fourth in the T J Smith Stakes with the other three all registered by Chautauqua, who like Briasa is a grey, from 2015-17.
Newmarket Handicap winner Joliestar, who was heavily-backed to start $3.30 favourite, struggled for clear galloping room after travelling three horses back the fence and finished ninth, beaten just two lengths.
BRIASA wins the TJ Smith Stakes!
Have we unearthed a #TABEverest contender? @G1TySchil claims the Group 1 on the exciting grey running down Overpass with Headwall arriving for third. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/aruRAxP4IE
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) April 5, 2025
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