A twelve months plan came to fruition when Tyzone stormed home from near last to win the 2020 Group 1 $350,000 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm today.
Tyzone, above in the orange colours, storms home to win the 2020 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.
Tyzone was runner-up to Trekking in last year Stradbroke Handicap and trainer Toby Edmonds immediately set out a plan to go one better this year.
Along the way Trent Edmonds joined forces with his father Toby and together they have prepared a Group 1 winner in the first year of their partnership.
“He came in pretty strong an I keep thinking of last year and he is going better than last year,” Trent Edmonds said.
“When he came at them I knew he would maintain a good run to the line.”
“From the time he ran second last year we hatched a plan.”
“We were even going to spell him for a long time and bring him back just for the Winter and we ended up doing Summer in Melbourne.”
“He is just a star. Horses don’t do what he has done. He is a winning machine and it is just so special.”
“I am only Johnny on the spot and Johnny come lately. We just started the partnership at the start of the season so for me that is obviously great but for my old man who has been slogging away for a long time, its is huge.”
Winning jockey Robbie Fradd had no choice but to ease Tyzone back to near last after jumping from gate sixteen in the eighteen horse field.
Fradd started to make his move forward on Tyzone at the 700m and the six year old was the widest runner on the home turn.
Tyzone ($14) was able to sustain a long run to nose out the Chris Waller trained Madam Rouge ($51) in the last two strides to record his seventeenth win from forty-one starts.
The Steve Tregea trained Niccanova ($14) looked a winning chance inside the 50m mark but had to settle for third just ahead of Vega One ($16).
The $4.20 favourite Dawn Passage was revved up from the outside gate to contest the lead and shot to the front shortly after the field turned for home, but couldn’t maintain his momentum and finished in seventh spot, two and a quarter lengths from the winner.
