Toby’s doctors look at surgery
GOLD Coast trainer Toby Edmonds is still nursing a monster headache as doctors deliberate on what further treatment he needs after his frightening accident this week.
Edmonds has been released from hospital and is resting at home but will go back on Monday for another check-up.
“It probably hasn’t improved a great deal but they let me out,” said Edmonds, who was trampled by a runaway horse on Monday.
“It’s a better bed at home and I get a better sleep.
“I’m not that crook (but) I’m getting awful headaches all the time and I’m on painkillers every four to six hours.”
Doctors and neurosurgeons were reviewing scans yesterday to determine if Edmonds needs surgery.
He’s had three CAT scans and he has a possible blood clot below the brain, although Edmonds said doctors weren’t overly concerned with that.
“They are just hoping it gets better with time,” he said.
Edmonds is good friends with rugby league legend Paul Vautin, who suffered a serious head injury of his own while filming The Footy Show some years ago.
Vautin took several weeks to come right and has told Edmonds to ensure he gets plenty of rest as he recovers.
“Once your brain gets a whack it can be pretty touchy,” Edmonds said.
“I feel fine, I don’t have slurred speech, I’m not getting giddy, I can do that stuff, I’ve just got bad headaches.”
Edmonds, who co-trains with his son Trent, is third in the Queensland trainers premiership this season.
He has been able to liaise with Trent this week as the stable prepares several key runners at the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast today.
“Battle Strike is resuming at the Sunny Coast. We do have an opinion of him – 1000m might be a tad short but he has to kick off somewhere and he’s a Magic Millions three-yearold,” Edmonds said.
“We will kick him off here and see how far he gets.”
Simply Sacred, Pilote and Beach Break are all rated good chances in their races at the Gold Coast today.
MARK OBERHARDT SUNSHINE COAST
TRAINER Barry Baldwin believes Queensland fan favourite The Candy Man’s performance in a recent Sydney campaign is far better than it appears on paper.
Baldwin is confident The Candy Man can return to his best form in the $105,000 Mooloolaba Cup (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast today.
The Candy Man, who races in the colours of Queensland legend
Gunsynd, gained a huge fan following after surviving a life-threatening injury to win seven races in a row.
Baldwin took the striking grey to Sydney for the spring where he was well beaten in four starts.
The Brisbane trainer said he did not like making excuses for horses but nothing had gone right for The Candy Man in NSW.
“In his first run in the Cameron at Newcastle he got an early bump and was pushed wide,” Baldwin said.
“Then in the Epsom he was again deep but his final sectionals were among the best in the race. There were also excuses in the Craven Plate and Rosehill Cup.
“I really think if he had drawn a decent barrier he would have run a place in the Rosehill race.
“In those kinds of races you need things to go right and they didn’t.”
The Candy Man has been back in Brisbane for a fortnight and been freshened up with swimming and beach work.
“He drew barrier one on
Saturday and that might be an omen things are about to change,” Baldwin said.
Among The Candy Man’s opposition will be Victory Eight with trainer Trevor Miller hoping his home track is an advantage.
Victory Eight was one of the late-season finds of the winter carnival and has returned in similar form.
Miller has been aiming Victory Eight at 1600m feature races in the summer carnival and sees the Mooloolaba Cup as ripe for the plucking.