‘Too fresh last time’: Queensland galloper Yellow Brick to fire in $2m Five Diamonds at Rosehill on Saturday

Queensland star Yellow Brick is primed to go bang in the $2m Five Diamonds after he was too fresh for a recent start in Sydney when he ran unplaced as favourite.

Not that she could have done much differently, but Maddy Sears admits there was a hint of trainer error when star Queenslander Yellow Brick ran unplaced in the Five Diamonds Prelude.

Yellow Brick started as the $2.70 favourite but Sears, who co-trains with her father Tony, feared on race morning the gelding might not show his absolute best in the $1m race over 1500m at Randwick.

Everything is back on track for the Saturday’s grand final in the $2m Five Diamonds over 1800m at Rosehill Gardens, where Yellow Brick is a $10 chance.

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“It turned out that he was just way too fresh for that Five Diamonds Prelude,” Maddy Sears said.

“He essentially had the day off before race day with his travel down from Queensland, I worked him on the Saturday morning and he was just extremely well and fresh.

“And then he was in a bit of strife when we couldn’t get cover.

“He is a horse who is much better when he gets cover.

“In hindsight, I maybe should have worked him on the Friday after we got to Sydney with him.

“But, given he got travel sickness the last time we came to Sydney, we didn’t want to do too much with him in case we knocked him around after the 10 hours of travel to get to Sydney.”

Just follow him! Yellow Brick wins the Listed Tattersalls Members Cup at Eagle Farm 🧱@mallyon_andrew | @SearsMaddy | @BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/RluKmnyWNw

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 12, 2024

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Yellow Brick, with more than $1.7m in prizemoney from his 18 race starts, will try to conquer a new frontier on Saturday when he steps out in distance to 1800m for the first time.

The exciting galloper has mainly been kept to sprint trips in his career, but the trainers have always felt he would be suited over more ground.

He has won over 1600m but never raced beyond that and Sears has no concerns about the 1800m.

Tony and Maddy Sears. Picture: Kevin Farmer

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“He has won over a mile, but he hasn’t raced over any further than that,” Sears said.

“We have long thought he would be even better over more distance, so we are really looking forward to Saturday.

“There’s no doubts in my mind that 1800m will be any issue.

“He has improved since that first run in Sydney and, judging by his work, he is going super.”

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A @Rachelk11 special aboard Iknowastar sees the consistent galloper take the Five Diamonds Prelude at Randwick 💎💎 pic.twitter.com/wahyXhOnuQ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 26, 2024

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With Tim Clark committed to riding Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained galloper Major Beel in the Five Diamonds, Jason Collett will link with Yellow Brick for the first time.

After Saturday, Yellow Brick will be given a freshen up and set for a rich race on Gold Coast Magic Millions day in January.

Meanwhile, nippy Sears-trained sprinter Steady Ready won his second consecutive trial this week in preparation for a Queensland summer carnival campaign.

Steady Ready is set to be seen first-up in the $125,000 Swiss Ace Plate (1000m) on the Sunshine Coast on November 16.

Originally published as ‘Too fresh last time’: Queensland galloper Yellow Brick to fire in $2m Five Diamonds at Rosehill on Saturday