Yellow Brick back to deliver knockout blow and send Stradbroke Handicap statement

One of Queensland’s most exciting horses returns to the races at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday, looking to make a Stradbroke Handicap statement.

Maddy Sears with stable star Yellow Brick. Picture: Kevin Farmer.

Maddy Sears was almost knocked out when tumbling off an unruly horse at track work this week, but she feels she can conjure a knockout blow of her own with resuming excitement machine Yellow Brick on Saturday.

Sears, who trains in partnership with Dad Tony in Toowoomba, has recently started riding track work again and she was lucky to only suffer grazing and bruising to the face when she plunged off a horse earlier in the week.

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That pain will be a distant memory if Yellow Brick can make a Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap statement by capturing a comeback win in the Listed ATC Trophy (1200m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

Yellow Brick hasn’t won since the same day last year when booming to victory in the Gold Coast Guineas.

Subsequently, he either wasn't given the best of rides or was out of luck when finishing runner-up in three subsequent 2023 winter carnival races, missing last year’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap field.

Things also didn’t work out when he led and faded in the $1m Silver Eagle during the Sydney spring carnival.

After a good break, Maddy Sears says the four-year-old gelding has returned better than ever and is ready to show his explosive best when resuming on Saturday as the $4.40 favourite.

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A Stradbroke Handicap start could beckon if Yellow Brick lifts his rating of 100 or he wins the BRC Sprint later this month which offers the winner a golden ticket into the Stradbroke.

“You will see a more mature horse on Saturday, on his data it looks to be that he has taken really good improvement,” Maddy Sears said.

“His stride length alone is bigger than what it has ever been. We always thought he was a horse who was going to take time.

“He was doing things on raw, natural ability. We have done a lot of work with him trying to teach him to settle and sit off horses.

“We don’t want him rip and tear to front. Dad and I believe he has come back better, but it’s hard to say until you get to race day.

“We think he is a better horse now than what he has ever been.”

Excitement machine Yellow Brick is back on Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters – Trackside Photography.

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Gun Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson will ride Yellow Brick after speaking with the training team months ago, and telling them he was keen to venture to Australia to ride the sprinter during the winter carnival.

The widest barrier does not appear ideal on paper, but it could end up not being so bad given the Sunshine Coast track could be significantly rain affected.

“Opie said to Dad a while back, if we ever wanted him to come and ride Yellow Brick, he would,” Maddy Sears said.

“He jumped at the opportunity. Ideally, after this, we go from the BRC Sprint into the Stradbroke.

“Longer term, we have our eyes set on possibly taking him to Sydney for the ($2m) Five Diamonds.”

Tony and Maddy Sears. Picture: Trackside Photography.

Among the rest of the Sears’ team for the Sunshine Coast on Saturday is talented two-year-old Beau Dazzler who was last seen when unplaced in the Karaka Millions 2YO in New Zealand.

Prior to that he had won a Listed race during the Queensland summer carnival and then finished runner-up to Spywire on the Saturday before the Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Beau Dazzler is a $51 chance in the Ken Russell Memorial Classic and would be an unlikely winner, given he is looking for further.

But he is one to watch during the carnival as he is being primed for an assault on the Group 1 JJ Atkins which is raced at 1600m which should suit him perfectly.

“We expect to see him running on strongly at the end on Saturday,” Maddy Sears said.

“We know it’s going to be too short for him but we want to see him attacking the line.”

Originally published as Yellow Brick back to deliver knockout blow and send Stradbroke Handicap statement