Cover image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Spicy Martini, a daughter of American champion Justify (USA), was plucked from the 2023 Inglis Digital Early March Sale for the unbelievable price of just $8000.
Trained by Toby Edmonds and Stephen McLean, Spicy Martini backed up her longshot debut win to overcome the challenging heavy track conditions and win the $160,000 Listed Mode Stakes (1200 metres) by nearly two lengths. The filly stalked the speed under Kyle Wilson-Taylor before pulling clear for an impressive victory that took her earnings to over $114,000, over 14 times her sales price.
“It was quite exciting, she had been a little unassuming,” Toby Edmonds said.
“You would have seen she started at a long price on debut but she had drawn wide and she had always shown us something.
“Since that debut win she came on. I think it was five weeks between runs and each gallop she’d improved pretty quickly. She is one of our better workers, she can work with anything in the stable now – she’s a very, very good worker.
“Since that debut win she (Spicy Martini) came on. I think it was five weeks between runs and each gallop she’d improved pretty quickly. She is one of our better workers, she can work with anything in the stable now – she’s a very, very good worker.” - Toby Edmonds
“I was looking for a 3-year-old fillies race, they don’t run them very often, and the only one that bobbed up was the Mode Plate. We’ve done it stacks of times, thrown them in the deep end and some we have had a bit of luck with, some we haven’t. I thought, bugger it, the pedigree is there so let’s do it and see what happens.”
A risky purchase
Edmonds revealed the fascinating backstory behind Spicy Martini's acquisition, explaining that the team already trained the filly's older half-sister Strong Martini (I Am Invincible), which has shown plenty of ability but had failed to live up to their high expectations due to niggling issues. However, Edmonds' partner Holly spotted the Justify (USA) yearling online and they were immediately intrigued. Apparently, the filly had been unable to go through the regular sales process due to concerns over her x-rays, but Edmonds insists there was nothing to worry about. He backed his judgement and secured the filly for a fraction of Justify’s $250,000 yearling sales average.
Spicy Martini as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
“Apparently she couldn’t go through a sale because of her x-rays and we bought her for $8000. There was nothing dramatically wrong with the x-rays, she was just immature,” Edmonds said.
“You go back 20 years and we’d never seen x-rays before. I think I bought I Am Invincible with no x-rays. I’ve bought plenty of good horses without x-rays, it is just now when you are buying horses to syndicate you have to be very careful. But the proof is in the pudding or the stats would suggests you can overlook x-rays and get away with it.
“I think I bought I Am Invincible with no x-rays. I’ve bought plenty of good horses without x-rays, it is just now when you are buying horses to syndicate you have to be very careful. But the proof is in the pudding or the stats would suggests you can overlook x-rays and get away with it.” - Toby Edmonds
“We were just lucky to be honest. It was good luck rather than good management. But I guess you have to be jogging on the spot. My partner Holly who sources these online sales a lot for me, found her online for me. Obviously, we have the half-sister by I Am Invincible – we know the whole family. I didn’t think I’d get her for $8000. I thought she would have been $25,000 to $30,000 and then I probably wouldn’t have bought her but we were keen at the price.
Residual value justified the punt
“We were keen to buy a Justify when they first hit the yearling sales but they were just out of our price range. We went home without one but this one came online so we grabbed her.
Toby Edmonds | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Being a Justify filly she was always going to have some residual value, whether that being $10 or $20 grand but now she is worth upwards of $500,000. That’s a pretty good result for everyone.”
Edmonds is no stranger to topline fillies having trained electric $2 million earner Houtzen (I Am Invincible) and while Spicy Martini might not be in that league just yet, Edmonds is certainly going to give her every chance to prove herself in the top grade.
“Time will tell how good she is, it’s probably not for me to say,” Edmonds said.
“I’m looking at a really raw 3-year-old filly who I’m thinking in 12 months will come into her frame and be a lot stronger, more mature and seasoned for that type of racing but obviously it’s just one step at a time. She has a long way to go to catch Houtzen but she is probably better bred than her; she’s got a better pedigree I’d suggest. She could get there, who knows?”
“I’m looking at a really raw 3-year-old filly (Spicy Martini) who I’m thinking in 12 months will come into her frame and be a lot stronger, more mature and seasoned for that type of (Group) racing.” - Toby Edmonds
“She will still be 3 years old for Tatt’s Tiara so she would get in very light there. She could even be a Stradbroke-type like Stefi Magnetica. I think Stefi Magnetica won at Orange to start with and then won a Stradbroke at 3. Those types of races suit a lightweight 3-year-old filly. You know, you’ve got Private Steer, you’ve got Stefi Magnetica and all the good fillies over the last 20 years have all performed well in those type of races.”
Future plans for Spicy
However, the immediate plan for Spicy Martini is to gain a slot in the lucrative $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight (1100 metres) for 3-year-olds, set down for January 4 on the Gold Coast.
“She came through the run well and she will head up to Kolora for about four or five days,” Edmonds said.
“Then she will come back and we are looking towards the slot race on January 4. Hopefully we can get a slot and away she goes. Slot holder, Archer Park, who is actually a part of our stable, has shown some interest and we are just waiting on them to decide which way they go.”
“... we are looking towards the (Magic Millions Sunlight) slot race on January 4. Hopefully we can get a slot and away she (Spicy Martini) goes. Slot holder, Archer Park, who is actually a part of our stable, has shown some interest and we are just waiting on them to decide which way they go.” - Toby Edmonds
No matter what the future holds for Spicy Martini, it’s certainly been astute buying by Toby Edmonds.
Bred by Coolmore, Spicy Martini is the first stakes-winner from stakes-placed mare Extra Olives (Redoute’s Choice), who hails from the family of the four-time Group 1 winning filly Alinghi (Encosta De Lago). Coolmore recently sold a weanling half-brother by Home Affairs for $260,000 to Fernrigg Farm at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale. This colt will be re-offered at the upcoming 2025 Gold Coast Magic Millions sale in January. Extra Olives has already produced another filly by Home Affairs this spring.
Spicy Martini became Justify’s 38th stakes winner. Earlier this year, it was determined that the Coolmore stallion would not make a return to Australia; however, he is currently serving a number of mares on Southern Hemisphere time at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in the United States.
