Inglis Digital has delivered plenty of fairytale stories, but Spicy Martini is one of the best and the four year-old Justify (USA) mare scored the biggest win of her career at Eagle Farm on Saturday when landing the $3million GroupI BRC Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
Trained by Toby Edmonds, Spicy Martini won the Group III BRC Fred Best Classic last year to earn a crack at the Stradbroke, but as a three year-old filly she found the task beyond her finishing a well beaten 15th behind War Machine, but 12 months on and it was a different story.
She won a Listed race first up from a spell at Eagle Farm in April with Taylor Marshall in the saddle and was then a fighting second in the Group I BRC Doomben 10,000 last month to Rothfire.
Given a tick over trial to keep her at her top, Spicy Martini had just 51.5kg under the handicap conditions of the Stradbroke and with a heavy track, she took full advantage of the cirumstances giving Taylor Marshall his first G1 win.
He rode a brilliant race from barrier two giving Spicy Martini a ground saving run and when she hit the front at the furlong, she was always going to take a lot of catching.
Spicy Martini won by a length over Group I winner Sepals with long shot Von Hauke in third place just ahead of the gallant top weight Fangirl in fourth place.
"It is very exciting. Quite emotional, to be honest. Just a great effort from everyone involved. Most of all the horse. She's a beautiful horse,” said Toby Edmonds.
"It's a really good effort. The last three months, we've been digging in and really working really hard and working hard on this mare.
“I've got to give mention to my farrier who works tirelessly on this mare. Taylor Marshall had a great ride, all my owners, they've all been fantastic and supported me the whole way through.
“And most of all, Spicy Martini, she's a star."
Taylor Marshall is the son of top class jockey John Marshall, who rode 1999 Melbourne Cup winner Rogan Josh and lost his lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer in 2018.
“To be honest, I didn't know how I was going to react. I was choking up a little bit just pulling up there. What a thrill. I do just want to thank Toby (Edmonds) for placing faith in me and sticking solid because I've had a terrific affiliation with her. What a feeling!,” said Marshall.
"She's an absolute superstar. She so resilient for a mare. She goes on any surface, puts herself there. Geez, I thought if we can step clean and possie just in behind them, I thought that was job half done.
“When we landed there, she just travelled into it beautifully and was thinking to Dad saying, "patient, patient." What a thrill.
"I think every jockey needs that one horse to sort of put them on the map, so to speak. I'm hoping that she's that one.”
Bred at Coolmore and foaled and raised at their Jerry’s Plains nursery, Spicy Martini was purchased for just $8,000 through Inglis Digital Online and has the impressive record of six wins from 12 starts with prizemoney topping $2.6million.
She was entered for the 2026 Inglis Chairman’s Sale, but her ownership group decided to withdraw the mare and to race on with that decision proving an inspired one that has them sitting on a goldmine for the future.
Spicy Martini is the first stakes-winner among four winners from stakes-placed Redoute’s Choice mare Extra Olives, a grand-daughter of Champion Filly Alinghi, a four time Group I winner.
Coolmore sold a yearling filly by Home Affairs from Extra Olives at Magic Millions this year for $350,000 to Bjorn Baker Racing/Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd and she produced a filly last spring by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) that is her final foal.
While Justify is not returning to Coolmore Australia, his champion son City of Troy (USA) covered an exceptional first book of 158 mares here last year, while his Australian bred brilliant juvenile Storm Boy covered 227 mares to be the busiest sire in Australia for 2025.
The first foals for both young stallions will be highly anticipated this spring.
Spicy Martini is the 11th Group I winner for Justify and is his first in Australia.
