Toby Edmonds has sights on second Stradbroke 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.
• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
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.'
Trent Edmonds is chasing another Stradbroke victory on Saturday with three-year-old filly Spicy Martini. Picture: Trackside Photography
• 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).
'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 won't be backing him': Owner questions Stradbroke favourite's odds
'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'.
• Grounded Corey flying high ahead of dream Group 1 bid
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.
Originally published as Toby Edmonds has sights on second Stradbroke Handicap after his 'Claytons' triumph during Covid pandemic
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mercury
3 hours ago
- Mercury
SuperCoach AFL Finals: New game, rules, prizes, how to play
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. New game alert! Continue your fantasy obsession through September with our brand new game – SuperCoach AFL Finals. It's a high-stakes, short-format experience to crown the ultimate finals champion. While SuperCoach Classic finishes at the end of the regular season, SuperCoach Finals kicks off from week one of the actual AFL playoffs. This means a whole extra four weeks of Australia's favourite fantasy sports game. The format comes with exciting features, including picking a new team every week based on which sides remain in premiership contention. There is also a massive twist – your captain earns triple points and vice-captain double. The arrival of SuperCoach Finals comes on the back of significant recent expansion for SuperCoach following the launches of new products SuperCoach EPL and SuperCoach NFL. Details on when you can start picking your team will be released soon. How it works • No salary cap – pick the best players, no price tags attached. • Fresh team every week – select a new line-up each round. • Scoring based on real SuperCoach stats – with two major twists: – Captain is worth triple points – Vice-captain is worth double points Competition dates • AFL finals series: September 4 – September 27 Team structure • Select a squad of nine players, best eight scores count. • Pick 2 defenders, 3 midfielders, 1 ruckman, 2 forwards and 1 Flex. Selection Limits by Week • Week 1: Max 2 players per team • Weeks 2 & 3: Max 3 players per team • Week 4 (GF): Max 5 players per team Prize • SuperCoach AFL Finals champion: $2500AUD Originally published as SuperCoach AFL Finals: Continue your fantasy sports obsession with our brand new game
Courier-Mail
6 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Carlton leaves McGovern out, contract extension hopes dashed
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Carlton defender Mitch McGovern will not trigger a contract extension for 2026 after he was left out of the senior side for the final game of the season. McGovern has failed to meet a games-based trigger, which would have guaranteed an automatic extension for next season. But he was not picked in the final side, instead named as an emergency. He could still remain at the club in 2026, but the re-negotiation would give Carlton and new CEO Graham Wright more flexibility. However the uncontracted defender will likely draw attention from rival clubs as a versatile key position player. Carlton made two changes for the clash, recalling Lucas Camporeale for his second game of the season, as well as Will White. The father-son pick will strangely bookend the season, having debuted in round 1. Lachie Fogarty and Cooper Lord will miss through injury. Meanwhile, Essendon veteran Dylan Shiel has been recalled for what could be his last game in the red and black. The defender was suspended for the controversial push on Mark O'Connor that led to friendly fire on teammate Luamon Lual. But he will play on Thursday night – with a growing likelihood he is not at the club in 2026 considering he has not been offered a contract. The 32-year-old will play game 13, which is the highest tally he has reached in his past three seasons. Zach Merrett will return for Essendon alongside Shiel, with Saad El-Hawli and Ben Hobbs both omitted for the clash. Originally published as The latest AFL team news ahead of round 24
Herald Sun
7 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Comeback mare The Map launches spring campaign in Leon Macdonald Stakes
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Murray Bridge trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray are plotting a return to Melbourne's spring carnival with staying mare The Map, who launches a comeback in Saturday's Listed Leon Macdonald Stakes at Morphettville. The Map, South Australia's recent Melbourne Cup representative, finished 21st in the famous race last year, before two unplaced runs in February saw the Group 3 winner retired, aborting a planned Adelaide Cup run the following month. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Clarken and MacGillivray concluded that the breeding barn beckoned for The Map, but she was passed in at the Inglis Chairman's Sale in May, missing a reserve of $200,000. The pair used it as an opportunity to reset, and reassess their plans with the nine-time race winner. 'If someone had really wanted to take her on as a broodmare, it was the time to sell her, but having crossed that bridge … I suppose it was just a reset moment,' MacGillivray said. 'We always had a reserve on her of $200,000 and said 'if she doesn't make that, she comes home and we reassess'. 'She had a good three months off, she's worked back up, had plenty of leg work, a bit of green grass and a change in the drought conditions have made her and us feel a little bit better about everything – she's just terrific.' The daughter of Alpine Eagle, now a seven-year-old, has had a Murray Bridge trial and jumpout in the lead-up to Saturday's 1400m assignment. 'She was very bright and bubbly, she's doing everything we'd expect her to do, we just gave her the extra jumpout (Monday), occasionally she just jumps a bit slow, especially if she's a bit fresh. She's right where we need her,' she said. 'We've got our own sand track up a hill out the back of our place, she's been enjoying using that, she seems in a good space – I suppose we are about to find out. 'If she jumps well, puts herself there and finishes off, I'd like to see her finish in the first half. That really lets us think positively about where we are heading to next, as long as she comes through it well, and every indication is that she will.' • Campton retires stable star as 'incredible' mare nears return The Map is a $41 chance with Sportsbet, and will be ridden by Emily Finnegan. The comeback mare will likely head to Victoria as she steps out in trip. Clarken and MacGillivray have the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes and Melbourne Cup qualifier, Group 3 The Bart Cummings, earmarked as possible target races. '(Makybe Diva) is obviously going to be pretty hot company, there's also a 1700m handicap at Flemington that day (September 13), that's probably the next step in her campaign to see where she's at,' MacGillivray said. 'We'll definitely still nominate for the (Melbourne) Cup, it's not off the radar, but in the back of our minds we might be heading into a Bart Cummings or something like that, we'll keep her at Flemington where she's happy and see what comes up.' The Map came out of retirement after she was passed in at the Inglis Chairman's Sale in May. Picture: Makoto Kaneko • New home for 2026 Cox Plate confirmed While a stable stalwart returns, Group 3-winning juvenile, Steel Trap, has left the Clarken and MacGillivray yard, the King's Legacy filly was sold privately to Yulong earlier this month. 'She's a terrific filly … we had high hopes, a Thousand Guineas (run) in the not too distant future, but we are also realists,' she said. 'We love where we live, but Adelaide is not the place to have progressive young horses at the moment, you've got to be realistic, how easy is it to get her back and forth across the border to do what she needed to do? 'We don't look back, no regrets, I'll be proud and excited to see her perform on the big stage and I hope she goes well for the connections.' Talented gelding, A Samurai Mind, has also moved on, transferring to the care of Cranbourne trainer Grahamme Begg. 'We just felt it was very hard to get any consistency in his racing here. He was at a rating level where you were trying to run him with three to five weeks between runs all the time, which doesn't make it very easy to train them when you've got them fit and ready to race,' she said. 'In conjunction with James Jordan (owner-breeder), we just felt it was in his best interests to go to Victoria where he can be placed accordingly and get the runs where he needs the runs.' The Map's full sister, On The Map, will also make her debut for the stable in a Maiden Plate (1250m) at Morphettville on Saturday. Originally published as Comeback mare The Map launches spring campaign in Leon Macdonald Stakes at Morphettville
