2021 JJ Atkins betting tips, best odds & form guide | Eagle Farm

June 11, 2021 11:11 am.

JJ Atkins betting tips

What	2021 J.J. Atkins
Where	Eagle Farm Racecourse – 230 Lancaster Rd, Ascot QLD 4007
When	Saturday, June 12, 2021 \| 3:13pm AEST \| Race 7
Prizemoney	$1,000,000
Distance	1600m
Status	Group 1
Race Conditions	Set Weights \| Two-Year-Olds
2020 Winner	Rothfire (13) \| Trainer: Robert Heathcote \| Jockey: Jim Byrne (57kg)
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HorseBetting’s Queensland form analyst brings you his top betting tips for the Group 1 J.J. Atkins, which will run this Saturday at Eagle Farm. A field of 14 two-year-olds has been assembled for the running of the $1 million race over 1600m. There should be a decent amount of speed with the likes of Overpass, Volcanic Rock, Cape Breton and Blushing Tycoon all go-forward horses. Converge will start as the $3.60 favourite after a fast-finishing second in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, while third place-getter Port Louis is a close second-elect at $4.50. Tiger of Malay ($6.50) is the only other runner in single figures after winning the Sires’ Produce a fortnight ago.

2021 JJ Atkins betting preview

Hugh Bowman’s Group 1 tally currently stands at 99, partly thanks to Winx, but one horse who will etch its name in the history books and Bowman’s heart should he bring up the tonne is the Maher & Eustace colt Port Louis. The son of Maurice was very good on debut when third behind Kalino and Warrior Hero, finishing with the best overall race sectional of the day on the Kensington track, before bumping into the undefeated Billiondollarbaby at Canterbury at start two. The colt was then backed off the map to no avail when fifth in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick over the mile, but his run was full of merit after settling out the back. The wide barrier in the BRC Sires’ Produce saw him a long way off them when straightening, but he motored home into third to be beaten only half a length. Barrier 13 on Saturday makes it a touch awkward again, but if he can replicate that turn of foot at the end of 1600m, we are confident Bowman will be raising the bat.

Sometimes the obvious picks itself, and if we are making as strong of a case as what we are for Port Louis, we have to have Converge in the mix. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained gelding was ridden upside down in the BRC Sires’ Produce, settling with only one behind him before flashing down the centre of the track to miss by 0.2 of a length. The get-back, run-on strategy was a premeditated plan according to Bott, with similar tactics set to be adopted in Saturday’s Group 1, where the extra 200m is likely to suit. Tim Clark stays on board this Frankel gelding, who has drawn brilliantly in gate five. If the speed is on like we expect, Converge will be chiming in at the right time.

Tommy Berry notched up 100 city winners for the season on Saturday at Rosehill and now heads north of the border in a bid to pinch a Queensland Group 1. While one runner that contributed to his 100 wins for the season was Cape Breton, the in-form hoop has elected to jump off Waller’s colt to stick with another runner who he had success on recently. The Hawkes-trained gelding Overmann has won one from his four starts, including a tough win over Volcanic Rock, who was impressive here last Saturday when winning The Phoenix over 1500m. The 1600m looks to suit this son of Hinchinbrook, who brings form into this race around Acrobat and Astrologer. Barrier seven will give Berry a number of options on what looks to be a very adaptable two-year-old.