Marshall toasts to first G1 with Martini

BRISBANE – Almost four decades after his late father John Marshall won the second of his two Stradbroke Handicaps aboard Robian Steele, Taylor Marshall celebrated his maiden Group 1 victory in Queensland’s most prestigious race on June 13.

Marshall partnered the Toby Edmonds-trained Spicy Martini ($73) to a thrilling win in the A$3 million (S$2.7 million) Eagle Farm showpiece over 1,400m.

The mare burst from the pack and held on to score by a length over the late-closing Sepals (Tim Clark), with Von Hauke (Harry Coffey) another three-quarters of a length away in third.

The latter two are both prepared by former Kranji conditioner Cliff Brown, who certainly could use a stiff Martini to help him forget what could have been a perfect quinella in one of Australia’s most coveted feature races.

Starting his riding career in 2013, Marshall, 33, whose earlier biggest win came at Group 3 level with Apache Chase in the Vo Rogue Plate (1,400m) at Eagle Farm in 2021, admitted he was imagining what advice his famous father would have been offering when Spicy Martini hit the front.

“I was thinking of Dad saying, ‘patient, patient’. But what a thrill,” said Marshall, who has chalked up in excess of 400 career wins, and rode without success at a cameo on Kranji’s final day on Oct 5, 2024.

“Every jockey needs that one horse to put them on the map, and I’m hoping she’s that one.

“She has already proven to jag a Group 1, and not only a Group 1, but Queensland’s most prestigious race. I’m lost for words.”

John Marshall was a champion jockey who often rode for Bart Cummings, with whom he won the 1999 Melbourne Cup on Rogan Josh, while his two Stradbroke wins atop Campaign King (1988) and Robian Steele (1989) were both for the legendary trainer.

John Marshall sadly died in December 2018 at the age of 60.

It was not the only setback in his son’s life. Late in 2025, he was disqualified for four months for falsifying a medical document, a penalty halved from an initial eight months on appeal.

Marshall owned up to his indiscretion viewed in the racing industry as a serious breach of safety protocols, vowing to make amends and focus on his riding comeback.

He returned in January. While he is not among the most fashionable jockeys in elite races, he has booted home his fair share of winners, with the Stradbroke both a well-deserved crowning moment and full redemption.

A four-year-old by Justify, Spicy Martini also comes with her own feelgood backstory, having been purchased online by trainer Toby Edmonds for only A$8,000. She has now won six of her 12 starts and has collected just shy of A$2.7 million in stakes.

The Gold Coast trainer was also happy to soak in his second Stradbroke crown, given his first with Tyzone in 2020 came during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“To win it twice is big. I’m 60 years of age now, I don’t know how many more years of training I’ve got to go,” said Edmonds. “I’ll tell you one thing, you give me a horse like this, I’ll win another one too.”

Top mare Fangirl did not enjoy the heavy conditions but tried her heart out, finishing fourth in a performance jockey James McDonald rated among the best of her career.

“She always runs her heart out, but today under trying circumstance she was superb,” said McDonald.

“I thought it was one of the better runs of her career. She doesn’t really handle it (heavy track), but she had the audacity to fight on.”

Trainer Chris Waller indicated earlier this week that Fangirl would race on next season and possibly resume in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1,400m) on Aug 22.

The 15-time Sydney champion trainer had better luck in the other Group 1 event of the afternoon, when $8 favourite Tron Bolt scored a hard-fought win in the A$1 million JJ Atkins (1,600m) for two-year-olds.

It was another milestone for McDonald, giving him the highest Group 1 haul in one season since the legendary Malcolm Johnston, on 17 wins. SKY RACING WORLD

Additional reporting by Michael Lee