Races at the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast will play an unexpected key role in unravelling a complicated set of scenarios to determine the Group One JJ Atkins field.
After first acceptances were taken for the JJ Atkins there were 30 horses still in contention for a place in the field on Saturday week.
As it stands, Ken Russell Memorial Classic runner-up Tick Tock Boom has the 18th and final place in the field.
Tick Tock Boom, who has $37,325 in prize money, will not race this weekend.
Uncomplicated, 19th on the ballot, will go past him if she runs in the first three at the Gold Coast on Friday.
Neutron (22nd) See Marie (24th) and Corvo (26th) would also go past Tick Tock Boom if they won or run second in the Gold Coast race.
A win by any of the trio would put them above Way Beyond who is No.17 for the Atkins.
To further confuse matters, Way Beyond, who like Uncomplicated is trained by Stuart Kendrick, is entered to race at the Sunshine Coast on Friday night.
Way Beyond needs only run a place in Friday’s race to be assured of a JJ Atkins start.
Kendrick has a third horse in the JJ Atkins mix racing on Friday with Superare (20th) who needs to win the Sunshine Coast race to make the field.
“We will just have to see how things play out on Friday as there are also so many combinations with other runners already in the field,” Kendrick said.
“I also have Cosmic Gossip who is a definite runner so I could have four, three or two Atkins starters depending on Friday.”