$8000 filly earns shot at Stradbroke Handicap with Fred Best Classic win
The Stradbroke Handicap has its latest rags to riches fairytale … and she walks like a duck.
Three-year-old filly Spicy Martini, who was snapped up for a barely believable price of just $8000 as a yearling by Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds, surged into Queensland's most prestigious race by scoring the Fred Best Classic at Doomben on Wednesday.
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 US champion Justify.
But Toby Edmonds backed his judgement and secured the filly for a fraction of Justify's $250,000 yearling sales average at the time.
Spicy Martini now has a shot at the $1.8m first prize of the Group 1 Stradbroke at Eagle Farm on Saturday week, with her win in the Fred Best earning her a golden ticket into Queensland's most prestigious race.
Edmonds has won the Stradbroke before, snaring his first Group 1 when Tyzone claimed the 2020 edition although that was a vastly different race with Covid restrictions playing their part.
Toby Edmonds trained the 2020 Stradbroke winner with his son Trent but now Toby and new training partner Stephen McLean have a shot at claiming Queensland racing's biggest prize.
Spicy Martini's Stradbroke odds were slashed from $101 to $21 after her Fred Best win and the filly will carry the featherweight of just 49.5kg.
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
â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 4, 2025
Spicy Martini will need a new jockey with Craig Williams unable to make 49.5kg but that was the least of Edmonds' worries on Wednesday as he was overcome with emotion.
'If you have a look at her, she walks like a duck,' Edmonds said.
'She has quite a few issues and takes a lot of managing, but she is very quick.
'We found her online, a Justify filly, which we generally weren't able to buy because they were too dear, but this one just came up.
'This one was one that (breeding giants) Coolmore couldn't put through the sales.
'She is workmanlike, there's nothing flash about her at all.
'She is honest, she is in the Stradbroke now with 49.5 (kg) and I'm very keen to run her as long as she pulls up well.'
The Fred Best for three-year-olds was rescheduled from last Saturday when an Eagle Farm downpour and poor visibility caused several races to be called off.
Champion jockey Williams said the rescheduling of the race added to the stature of the win.
He predicted Spicy Martini would make her presence felt in the Stradbroke.
'Everyone that was in this race today had the challenge of being there last Saturday but coming back today,' Williams said.
'It's a great intuitive by Racing Queensland to have this race exempt from ballot from the Stradbroke.
'Toby and his team now have 10 days to get this filly to the Stradbroke in good form.
'Toby asked if I could ride at 49.5 (kg), I said I could have when I was 18 but I can't now.'
There had been strong late money for Spicy Martini in the Fred Best, backed from $15 into $10.
Bosustow, who won the Gold Coast Guineas by six lengths at his previous start, finished a disappointing sixth after appearing to have every chance.
Annabel and Rob Archibald's Queensland stable foreman Todd Pollard said there were no post-race issues found with the colt.
Bosustow eased from $9 to $21 in Stradbroke betting and now connections must decide whether to tackle the Stradbroke.
Exciting Lindsay Park galloper War Machine firmed even further as Stradbroke top pick on Wednesday without even racing, now a $3 favourite after starting the day at $4.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
16 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Chaz Mostert dominates Perth Supercars qualifying, hits Back at recent online abuse
Chaz Mostert fired back at the online critics who reckon he's too old to cut it in Supercars by claiming his first pole position in over a year at the Perth Super 440 on Saturday. The 33-year-old Mostert turned back the clock and unleashed a sizzling lap in his Ford Mustang to jump to the top of the timesheets after the first split qualifying session. Crossing the line in 53.685 seconds, Mostert secured pole position for first of the three races at Wanneroo Raceway this weekend, and Race 14 for the 2025 season. Monster's pole was the 26th of his Supercars career and his first since he started at the front of the grid at Perth in May 2024. Mostert's Walkinshaw Andretti United team mate Ryan Wood locked out the front row with the second best time, with Brodie Kostecki third and championship leader Broc Feeney fourth. 'It's always nervous coming 12 months from a good result,' Mostert told Fox Sports. 'I'm glad I had a really fast teammate, tuned me up on a bit of driving, and just sent it in and came out on the other side. 'The simple work is that there's a few internet trolls out there that basically say, 'you're done; since you have a kid and wife you lose two tenths'. 'So I'm glad to show you can find two tenths by having kids and wife, so thanks to the trolls out there, appreciate you.'
News.com.au
16 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Hawthorn: Home inspected by 200 people snapped up
A Hawthorn apartment inspected by hundreds of buyers has been snapped up by a purchaser who made a dramatic entrance to the auction. On Saturday, the two-bedroom home at 2/51 Denham St went under the hammer after being checked out by more than 200 buyer groups. The Agency Victoria's Luke Saville said that apart from the stylish and light-filled interiors, many buyers were attracted to the property because it is part of a company share title. This essentially means the 10-unit complex, where the apartment is located, is considered a company which homeowners buy into by purchasing a tenth of a share in the entire building and land. Nowadays, this is a rare arrangement with most modern apartments on strata titles. A mix of mainly first-home buyer couples and singles were interested in the home which went to auction with four bidders, starting with a $470,000 bid. Mr Saville said that one of the buyers, a woman who has sold her family home, had decided on Friday that she no longer wanted to bid. The woman was also in Perth, meaning she would miss the auction. However, the buyer contacted her daughter on Saturday, asking her to get to the auction within 30 minutes – as the mother had changed her mind and wanted the apartment. The daughter, who was out cycling, raced home and jumped in her car to get to the auction to bid on behalf of her mum. 'She got there five minutes into the auction, bid and bought,' Mr Saville said. The property ended up selling for $565,000, a sum $35,000 higher than the $530,000 reserve. Despite the rain, about 60 onlookers turned out to watch the auction. Further out of the city, a four-bedroom house at 16 Diamond Creek Rd, Greensborough, also went under the hammer on Saturday. Set on 859sq m, the home features three bathrooms, a lounge room with a timber-lined cathedral ceiling and two decks with views across the surrounding trees. Jellis Craig Greensborough and Hurstbridge's Daniel Cobern said more than 100 people had inspected the property. Two bidders contested the auction, with the house selling for $765,000 after being placed on the market at $760,000. 'A young couple bought while the underbidder was looking to do a renovation and flip,' Mr Cobern said. The buyers liked the home's size and location near parklands, public transport and Greensborough Plaza, he added.
News.com.au
21 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Sunrays heads for well-earned spell after ending successful campaign with victory in Show A Heart at Eagle Farm
Champion jockey Tommy Berry believes classy filly Sunrays would have been competitive in next Saturday's Group 1 JJ Atkins but unfortunately he won't get to find out. The Kelly Schweida -trained Sunrays will now go for a spell after winning the Listed Show A Heart for two-year-olds over 1500m at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Schweida then grabbed a double early in the card, with Cejay Graham piloting $20 chance Vodka Martini to victory in the 1000m Lightning Handicap, ahead of Austmarr ($7) and the Schweida-trained Metalart ($6) Owner Peter Moran may have been tempted to run her in the JJ Atkins (1600m) but he and Schweida will stick to their guns and send Sunrays for a rest. Asked if the supremely gifted filly, who has now won five of her six races, could have been competitive in the JJ Atkins, Berry didn't hesitate in his response: 'If she didn't run today then yes. 'The aim was to run today and then go to the paddock. But running today, I felt like she was on the way down now. I don't think she was at her best today. 'She was a little bit flat in the way she raced and she didn't travel up that well for me off the bridle so she's got improvement 'At her best, if she'd missed today and had the extra week in between runs, for her to run top three (in the JJ Atkins) wouldn't have been out of her means.' ☀ï¸� Sunrays adds the Listed Show A Heart to her win list at Eagle Farm! @schweidaracing @TommyBerry21 @BrisRacingClub â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 It would have been tough for Sunrays to back-up just seven days later in a long campaign that started in late January and finished with Saturday's mighty effort when the $3.20 favourite beat Jenni Gone Bonkers ($10) and Navy Pilot ($5.50) on a Soft 5 track. 'She'll be going straight for a spell now, so that was a great way to sign off her prep,' Schweida said. 'It was a great win, I don't think I've seen a jockey look more confident than Tommy did. 'He was pretty adamant she would be hard to beat, but she still had to tick the 1500m box and also the Eagle Farm box today. 'She's just so tough and she's done it all off her first prep, which is why we elected not to take her to the Group 1 next week (JJ Atkins). She's done a super job.' Berry said he felt lucky to pick up the ride from regular jockey Cejay Graham, with the top Sydney hoop guiding her to wins in the Group 3 Ken Russell Stakes (1200m) on the Gold Coast and the Listed Bill Carter Stakes (1350m) at Doomben last month. 'Cejay had done a really good job on her before I picked up the ride,' he said. 'She gave me some really good insight into what she was like to ride, so that made things much easier for me. 'She's a lovely progressive filly, and I still think the best is yet to come with her. 'If you look at her frame she probably hasn't filled into it yet. She's still a bit narrow but there's nothing wrong with her heart, she had to dig deep today. 'It's very exciting to see what she can do over the spring.'
