News

'Fairytale' runner Spicy Martini confirmed for $20m G1 The Everest

3rd Oct 2026

The G1-winning $8000 Inglis Digital fairytale story Spicy Martini (Justify) will race in the Inglis slot in this year’s $20m G1 The Everest.

Spicy Martini is a lightly raced 5YO with an exceptional winning strike rate and phenomenal will to win.

A veteran of just 13 career starts, Spicy Martini has won six races and already earned in excess of $2.7m in prizemoney.

Importantly, she has been in career-best form for the duration of 2026.

In just four starts this year, Spicy Martini has won twice – including the G1 Stradbroke Handicap – finished 2nd in the G1 Doomben 10,000 and was beaten just 0.7 lengths when first-up in the G2 The Shorts behind Mazu, Joliestar and King’s Secret a fortnight ago.

Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch was excited to have secured the Coolmore-bred Spicy Martini for The Everest.

“We have had an eye on her for some time and believe she is capable of posting a career best effort in The Everest,’’ Hutch said.

“One of the most significant things for us wanting to chase her for our slot is she has run a new peak figure each start this year – including a G1 victory in The Stradbroke - which tells us she is headed on an upward trajectory and is continually improving and nobody knows where her ceiling is yet.

“She is versatile, having won on everything from a Good 4 to a Heavy 10, she can settle on pace or come from worse than midfield, she’s a dual winner at 1200m but is also a G1 winner at 1400m which we believe is a significant advantage in an Everest, she was huge first-up when crossing the line alongside Joliestar and being less than a length from winning The Shorts and we feel the race will bring out the best in her.

“Inglis graduates have won six runnings of The Everest and we have run 2^nd and 3^rd with runners in our slot, so we are excited to have another crack at the race in 2026.”

Hutch described Spicy Martini’s inclusion in The Everest as “another monumental day’’ for the Inglis Digital platform, where trainer Toby Edmonds and his partner - and the mare’s managing owner - Holly Penfold purchased Spicy Martini for just $8000 in the 2023 March (Early) Online Sale as a yearling.

“Inglis Digital is the world’s leading online thoroughbred sales platform and continues to produce elite horses on all budgets,’’ Hutch continued.

“Spicy Martini cost $8000 and has already won more than $2.7m, Sheza Alibi cost $10,000 online and is already a three-time G1 winner and earner of almost $4.4m from just 12 career starts, Half Yours was purchased on Inglis Digital before winning the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups last year, it’s a service that buyers flock to twice a month, every month because they know they can buy a horse that you dream about, no matter the budget.’’

Spicy Martini’s managing owner Holly Penfold described the mare as “incredibly brave and durable’’.

“The day she won The Stradbroke back in June, we decided she was going to run at Randwick on October 17, it was just a matter of whether that was going to be in the Sydney Stakes or The Everest and here we are now with an Everest slot thanks to Inglis and we couldn’t be more excited,’’ Penfold said.

“We bought this horse on Inglis Digital for $8000, she’s already won us $2.7m from 13 starts and now she’s running in a $20m race. It’s legitimately unbelievable really, an absolute fairytale. I never dreamed we’d be running in a $20m race but here we are.

“The Inglis marketing team made a nice video of Spicy [Martini] after she won The Stradbroke and Sebastian sent it to me and I replied ‘there’s an even better video to be made after The Everest’ and we’ve just stayed in contact since then.

“Inglis wanted to see her return well to show she was back, which is completely valid, and her run in The Shorts certainly proved that, she ran extremely well first up despite having one shoe ripped off and two others shifting.

“We’re going into The Everest with confidence. We know she’ll be a big price but she always is, she’s always underestimated and she always overperforms and we wouldn’t have it any other way.’’

Taylor Marshall will ride Spicy Martini in The Everest.

Marshall has ridden Spicy Martini five times previously for three wins, including her G1 Stradbroke victory.

Spicy Martini will remain at Edmonds’ Gold Coast stables until Everest week, when Edmonds will himself drive the mare to Sydney and stable her at Peter Snowden’s Randwick base.