Toby Edmonds has sights on second Stradbroke Handicap after his ‘Claytons' triumph during Covid pandemic
Toby Edmonds calls his 2020 win in Queensland's biggest race 'The Claytons Stradbroke' and says it felt 'a bit morbid' scoring his greatest triumph during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Queensland winter carnival that year was almost unrecognisable due to sweeping safety restrictions and Eagle Farm was like a ghost town when Edmonds and his son Trent scored their first Group 1 with Tyzone.
Only two Sydney jockeys were riding in the 2020 Stradbroke which was that year slashed from $1.5m to $350,000 in prizemoney.
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Fast forward five years and Toby Edmonds, now in training partnership with Stephen McLean, said it will be an entirely different feeling if flying filly and bargain buy Spicy Martini can win Queensland's best race which is now worth $3m.
'It was a bit morbid to be honest when Trent and I won in 2020 and we called it the Claytons Stradbroke because they crunched the prizemoney right down,' Toby Edmonds said.
'We ran second the year before with Tyzone and he won a similar amount that year to what he did for winning in 2020.
'Some people would say there's a little asterisk next to it (the 2020 Stradbroke) but the field was still competitive.
'And it was a Group 1 next to my name which was what I always wanted.
'But there is no doubt that this one on Saturday will be bigger if we win.
'It would be similar to a cricketer like Steve Smith or Ricky Ponting scoring a hundred, to win a big Group 1, it's like the grand final for a trainer like me.'
• Trainer reveals JJ Atkins contender was 'flying blind' in lead-up
Spicy Martini is a daughter of US champion Justify who was purchased by Edmonds for the barely believable price of $8000 as a yearling.
The filly who 'walks like a duck' surged into the Stradbroke Handicap field when scoring a golden ticket by winning the Fred Best Classic and gets into the Stradbroke with a featherweight.
Gold Coast trainer Edmonds is a student of racing history and has always enthused about the prospect of qualifying a three-year-old filly for the Stradbroke.
In total, there have been 12 three-year-old fillies who have won the Stradbroke, including Stefi Magnetica last year.
Others in the last 40 years are La Montagna (2006), Private Steer (2003), Dane Ripper (1997) and Canterbury Belle (1985).
Time to celebrate! That's a spicy win for Spicy Martini in the G3 Fred Best Classic at Doomben 🙌 🌶� @CWilliamsJockey | @EdmondsRacing | @BrisRacingClub pic.twitter.com/dotBPdx9tH
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 4, 2025
'I just like the profile of three-year-old fillies in this race,' Edmonds said.
'Stefi Magnetica won it last year and then you go back and look at the likes of La Montagna and Private Steer.
'I'm a big student of history, it's there and its pretty simple to look up.
'I have followed form for 30 years and it's always been a passion of mine.
'I have always thought a three-year-old filly in a Stradbroke with no weight, if she is any good, could figure in the finish.
'Whether Spicy Martini is good enough or not, we are not sure, but she is certainly a game filly and I think they will know she is in the race.
'Some people are saying this isn't a vintage Stradbroke, but whether it is or it isn't doesn't matter, they are all difficult to win.'
Edmonds will take his customary position at Eagle Farm on Saturday, watching the races by himself and away from others.
It's how he likes it, 'so I don't have anyone annoying me while I'm watching a race'.
Spicy Martini went through an online sale and was sold at a bargain-basement rate because of concerns over her X-rays, despite being a daughter of Justify.
It was a gamble that has paid off in sensational fashion.
'Anyone could have bought her really, someone might have went to $8500 and we might not have bought her,' Edmonds said.
'But we might have kept going, we actually hadn't seen her but we thought a Justify filly, regardless of what she looked like, was worth a shot at that price.
'We did speak to Coolmore and they shared the information they had on her.
'But it was really a throw at the stumps to be honest.'
Spicy Martini has drawn barrier four and is a $31 chance.
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