‘My initials were JJ before I was married’: Jennifer Acton has incredible Group 1 omen for Hi Barbie

Jennifer Acton, the widow of the late racing identity and cattle baron Alan, believes she might have a good omen as she eyes off a winter carnival Group 1 win with Hi Barbie.

Jennifer Acton's Hi Barbie will kick off her winter carnival campaign on Saturday in the Calaway Girl at Eagle Farm.

Sitting on her country property looking out over her late husband’s grave, Jennifer Acton feels there is an incredible omen for star filly Hi Barbie’s Queensland winter carnival campaign.

Two-year-old Hi Barbie, who kicks off her winter mission on Saturday, was an emotional $1.2m yearling purchase for Jennifer Acton who wanted to honour her late husband Alan’s legacy in racing.

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Tony Gollan will resume Hi Barbie in the Listed Calaway Girl (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday and is hoping he can plot a path to stretching her to the 1600m of the Group 1 JJ Atkins in June.

Enter the Acton omen.

“I haven’t said anything to Tony Gollan about this, but my initials were ‘JJ’ before I was married,” Jennifer Acton said.

“I was Jennifer Jones and sometimes I would be called JJ.

“And then I became an Acton, which sounds a bit like Atkins.

“So the JJ Atkins sound a perfect race for us to win.

“Alan always wanted to have a Group 1 winner and we are really hoping this filly can be the one.

“I think Alan would be having a chuckle from up above, in a short space of time I have gained so much knowledge about racing.

“I always wondered why Alan got so nervous before a race, but I always left that to him.

“Now I understand, because it’s on my shoulders now, and I get very nervous.”

Trainer Tony Gollan with Jennifer Acton after she purchased Hi Barbie at last year's Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale. Picture: Magic Millions

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Cattle baron Alan Acton raced hundreds of horses over the years – the best was Gollan-trained mare Outback Barbie which won $1.6m in prizemoney.

The Actons own several cattle properties in central Queensland but the main one is Wilpeena which is situated just outside Dingo, 150km west of Rockhampton.

Tragically, Alan Acton died just over two years ago when his mustering helicopter hit power lines and crashed.

Alan Acton is buried on the Wilpeena property and the extended Acton family gathered there over the weekend to celebrate Easter.

Hopes are high that Hi Barbie, named by Jennifer’s granddaughter Tommy after the family had watched a Barbie movie, can be a winter carnival star.

Jennifer and the late Alan Acton at the Wilpeena racetrack.

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The filly resumes on Saturday after finishing a bold sixth in the $3m Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.

It was a tremendous effort and a real eye-catcher, especially given the filly suffered heart arrhythmia following her previous race in December.

While Jennifer Acton can’t wait to see Hi Barbie resume, she is also looking forward to the $1m Rockhampton slot race The Archer on May 4.

Acton has exciting Gollan galloper Transatlantic, the early $3.50 favourite, racing in Acton’s slot.

“This will be the first time that we have actually had our trainer (Gollan) have a horse racing in our slot,” Acton said.

“Tony contacted me about Transatlantic because I think he thinks he is a Stradbroke horse and he wants to kick him off in The Archer.”

Originally published as ‘My initials were JJ before I was married’: Jennifer Acton has incredible Group 1 omen for Hi Barbie