Team Hawkes‘ ultra-consistent four-year-old, Briasa, was back in winning form second-up scoring a narrow elite level win in the 2025 TJ Smith Stakes results on Day 1 of The Championships in Sydney.

The Smart Missile gelding, winner of the Group 2 The Hunter in Newcastle last spring, improved on his fourth fresh in Rosehill’s Group 1 Oakleigh Plate relishing the step-up to six-furlongs in this year’s Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes continued their nice record in the TJ Smith Stakes posting their first win in the autumn sprint feature since the historic three-peat by fellow grey Chautauqua (2015-17).

“I don’t know what to say, I really don’t,” co-trainer Michael Hawkes told Sky Thoroughbred Central.

“I’ve just loved him from day one. 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.

“I’ll tell you what, he’s a star. An absolute star!”

Briasa’s regular rider, Tyler Schiller, stuck aboard the progressive sprinter he knows so well to produce a brilliant victory over resuming dual The Quokka champion Overpass ($5) saluting by a head on the line after running down the leader late.

“Let me tell you, the horse on the inside (Overpass) is no easy horse to get past,” Wayne Hawkes said.

“It’s a great race. He’s not Chautauqua, because not many are. But he’s better than Chautauqua though because Chautauqua is not here.

“The other day he had to go back to last and we all saw what happened. Today he was in the one-one, we thought he’d be second, third fourth (in the run). He’s pretty good.

“You saw Swiftfalcon before (in the Carbine Club Stakes), where they’re backmarkers it’s so hard to win.

“And that’s what happened with this bloke in The Galaxy.

“He would have done this to this lot last week if he’d have drawn the right barrier, but that was last week.

“This is a good horse’s race, this race.”

In third adding further value to this year’s TJ Smith Stakes trifecta another one and a quarter-lengths back was the Matthew Smith trained Headwall ($31) whose form was there to find after two good Group 1 runs in Melbourne having placed fourth in the Oakleigh Plate and second to Joliestar in the Newmarket at his latest two.

Briasa took his record up to seven wins from just nine career starts when coming from fourth at the top of the straight to wind up inside the final furlong off a perfectly timed ride by Schiller to race clear and earn his first Group 1 trophy.

“It makes a difference when you draw a barrier and he’s probably one missing first-up but second-up it’s great to get a barrier, Randwick is more forgiving, and he’s just a very good horse,” Schiller said.

“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.”

As for the runner-up Overpass, it was a lovely return from Bjorn Baker‘s star who had his first run since a successful title defence in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) over in Perth last summer.

Overpass is now set to attempt his third straight victory in the $5 million The Quokka at Ascot on April 26 and is the short $2.50 favourite through Ladbrokes.com.au to dually defend his title in the slot race.

“He was gallant in defeat. A huge effort by him. He has led the field up. I take his victories and his defeats quite personally. I’m very attached to this horse,” Overpass’s TJ Smith Stakes jockey Josh Parr said.

Headwall could also be Perth bound chasing a slot in The Quokka 2025 field, which his jockey today Zac Lloyd believes he is capable of.

“He has gone enormous,” Lloyd said of the underrated runner.

“He is a very good horse. A turn of foot that can win Group 1s. I was a bit stiff at the top of the straight.

“When he got out, he really quickened.

“Hopefully he gets a run in The Quokka.”

2025 TJ Smith Stakes Results

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