By Glenn Davis
Talented colt Astro Boy Toy could clinch an interstate trip for the spring if successful at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Astro Boy Toy will be chasing his second win from three starts when regular rider Ryan Maloney partners him in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1400m).
A son of Deep Field, Astro Boy Toy was a $260,000 Magic Millions buy and lived up to his early promise easily winning his maiden at the Sunshine Coast last month.
He subsequently put in a brave performance when runner-up to the Chris Munce-trained Stampe in a 1350-metre Benchmark race at Doomben on August 3.
The new training partnership of Toby Edmonds and son Trent has a big opinion of Astro Boy Toy who is nominated for the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Randwick on September 28.
He also is nominated for the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 12 and the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley two weeks later.
“If he wins impressively, we’d be tempted to take him south,” said Trent Edmonds.
“But we’re very mindful this is still his first preparation so we won’t rush him.
“We want to look after him and there’s always the Magic Millions he can go for if he doesn’t go south.”
Edmonds said Astro Boy Toy should have an unbeaten record going into his third race start.
“We were probably a little too soft on him last start after he won so easily at the Sunshine Coast,” Edmonds said.
“He’s a good colt and quite big but we made an error last start being too soft on him in his trackwork.
“He just wasn’t tough enough to beat Stampe on the day but I’ve got no doubt he’s the better horse of the two.
“He’s going good and he should be competitive again.”
Team Edmonds has no doubt Astro Boy Toy, who is owned by Aquis Farm and several Edmonds’ stable clients, will run further on his breeding.
“He’s a half-brother to the Toydini who was trained by the late Guy Walter before he went to John Hawkes,” Edmonds said.
Toydini was a five-times winner whose best victory was in the Group 2 Waterford Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley in 2013.
Although he never won a Group 1, Toydini competed 10 times at the highest level with a placing in the Group 1 Epson Handicap in 2013 his best result.
Racing Queensland webnews August 22