- Race Date: 24th December 2022
- Race Category: Group 3
- Race Track: Doomben Racecourse (Brisbane Summer Racing Carnival)
- Race Distance: 1200m
- Prize Purse Value: $250,000
BJ McLachlan Stakes Preview
The BJ McLachlan Stakes is a Group 3 1200m race reserved for two-year-old horses. Part of the Brisbane Summer Racing Carnival, the BJ McLachlan is scheduled in late December, and this year, it will take place on 24th December at the Doomben Racecourse.
The race was first held in 1982, and since 2011, it has held the status of a Group 3 race. The race has been held both at the Doomben and Eagle Farm Racecourse in the past. The BJ McLachlan is named in memory of Bruce McLachlan, the champion horseman who won the Brisbane Metropolitan Training Premiership sixteen times.
Betting Tips for BJ McLachlan
The BJ McLachlan serves as a key lead-up for the Magic Millions, a 1200m, $ 2 million race for two-year-olds held at the Gold Coast.
The race line-up comprises two-year-old runners with experience at the group level and who may be coming off tougher lead-up races interstate or maybe beginning off their Queensland summer campaign. Young sprinters lead the betting markets for the McLachlan with proven form, runners in winning form in races over 1000m, and horses with a previous winning record at Brisbane.
A key lead-up for the BJ McLachlan is the Gimcrack Stakes, a 1000m Group 3 race held at Randwick Racecourse in October. Last year’s winner Coolangatta, who was also the favourite to win the BJ McLachlan, had come to the race with a win at the Gimcrack Stakes earlier in October.
Other key lead-up races include the Phelan Ready Stakes and the Calaway Gal Stakes. 2020’s winner Alpine Edge and 2016 winner Ours to Keep are the latest runners to complete the Phelan Ready and BJ McLachlan Stakes double.
The best performers from the BJ McLachlan are likely to run at the Magic Millions, while participation in the Golden Slipper in March may also be on the cards.
