Chris Waller‘s Coolmore Stud Stakes winning colt Switzerland is tipped to enjoy more Group 1 glory this autumn with the gun three-year-old sitting top of all in betting on the TJ Smith Stakes 2025 nominations for April.

Early entries for the autumn majors including all the features over the two days of Randwick’s The Championships closed on Tuesday with 69 sprinters in the mix for April 5’s Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) on Doncaster Mile Day.

Heading futures TJ Smith Stakes odds for 2025 at Ladbrokes.com.au, Switzerland is currently a $5 favourite to become the event’s first three-year-old champion since Trapeze Artist in 2018.

The son of Snitzel was excellent down the famous Flemington straight over the Melbourne Cup Carnival last November taking out the Coolmore by 2.75 lengths.

He resumes on Saturday in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at headquarters before targeting all the elite sprints of the season in both Melbourne and Sydney.

Waller has won the TJ Smith on three occasions with the one horse, Nature Strip, dominating from 2019-2021.

Along with the early top elect Switzerland, the ace Sydney based horseman has a further four TJ Smith nominees this season with his Group 1 winning Zoustar mare Joliestar the other best from the yard.

It is an extremely close TJ Smith Stakes betting battle at the top of the markets following Switzerland with four hopefuls all at a current equal quote of $8 with Giga Kick, Growing Empire, Private Harry, and Sunshine In Paris.

Clayton Douglas‘ outstanding 2022 The Everest champion Giga Kick was runner-up in the 2023 TJ Smith quinella and has subsequently won two Group 1 features.

His spring had him running second in last year’s The Everest behind Bella Nipotina in the world’s richest turf race making him a big chance here at his pet track and distance again.

The Everest winning horseman Ciaron Maher is after his maiden TJ Smith Stakes trophy this season and the ultra-consistent Growing Empire, who ran third in both The Everest and Coolmore, heads his five strong contingent of class sprinters.

Private Harry is another ace young three-year-old looking to show up the older horses in this year’s TJ Smith Stakes results with the Harry Angel colt for Newcastle’s Nathan Doyle undefeated at time of publish with a perfect four-from-four record to kick off his career.

Sunshine In Paris is the best fancied of the mares in early betting on the TJ Smith Stakes.

The Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald trained Invader five-year-old is a genuine 1200m star and stamped herself as one to watch in the country’s best sprints after winning Flemington’s Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic on Champions Day.

Trainer Peter Moody meanwhile chases his fifth TJ Smith Stakes victory this year having saluted with the undefeated queen Black Caviar (2010 & 2012), I Wish I Win (2023), and Chain Of Lightning (2024) last year who he trained in partnership with Katherine Coleman.

Moody & Coleman return chasing back-to-back TJ Smith Stakes wins in 2025 with their 2023 champ I Wish I Win returning for another shot at the title.

Click here to view the complete list of TJ Smith Stakes 2025 nominations.

The 2025 TJ Smith Stakes first acceptances close on Tuesday the 11th of March 2025.

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