SPICY MARTINI SET TO STIR UP THE STRADBROKE

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, June 4, 2025

It was a race to get into a race … and when that prize is a place in the $3 million Stradbroke you would expect it to be as keen as it was at Doomben on Wednesday with the hotly contested finish of the Group 3 Fred Best Classic culminating in no less than six horses finishing within two two lengths off the winner, the Toby Edmonds and Stephen MacLean trained Spicy Martini who carried the day under a masterful ride from Craig Williams.

With this hard-fought win, Spicy Martini improved her race record to four wins from six starts. Numbered amongst those victories now are this Group 3 and two Listed race wins in the Mode Plate and the Mick Dittman. She has now also extended the distance she has won over to 1350m … and was hitting the line hard.

That is another box ticked for the Stradbroke which will be contested over 1400m.

In essence, Spicy Martini, who was easy to back at $10, ran the perfect race in intense circumstances … a credit to his co-trainers and jockey.

When Media World ($11) and Stay Focussed (the second favourite at $6) cut out a strong early speed and shared the lead by two lengths in the sweep to the home turn, Williams had Spicy Martini in fourth place, in-between runners, three lengths off the frontrunners.

With Stay Focussed already beaten early in the home straight, Media World was left in the clear by a couple of lengths, but there was a wall of runners starting to put in their challenges behind the Snowden trained runner, most notably Tuned (26) and Spicy Martini.

Media World was game though and he kicked on well under pressure. He still held a two length advantage at the 200m mark, but that was down a length lead over Spicy Martini with 100m left to run as Tuned began to feel the pressure.

Spicy Martini was bounding forward with meaning.

The question now was whether the post would arrive in time to reward Media World for his sterling effort or whether the closing momentum that Spicy Martini had built up would allow him to go past Media World when it mattered most.

In the end, Spicy Martini snared Media World inside the last fifty metres to score a hard-earned victory.

Media World did get second place ahead of Pisces ($18), who arrived late after being inconvenienced just inside the final 200m, while another $18 chance Raikkonen also produced a late flourish to edge the $26 fancy Editing out of fourth place.

And, yes, you did read those prices right … the first five across the line started at $10, $11, $18, $18 and $26 respectively.

Some of those prices, at least in part, were exaggerated due to the strong support for the $2.45 race favourite Bosustow who, although finishing in that group of horses less than two lengths behind the winner, never seriously threatened the result at any stage of the running.

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