Yellow Brick goes agonisingly close to fairytale upset in Stradbroke Handicap

Local hope Yellow Brick nearly pulled off a stunning upset in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap and trainers Tony and Maddy Sears could not have been prouder.

Maddy Sears, with Yellow Brick earlier in the week, said she was “speechless” after his runner-up performance in the Stradbroke Handicap on Saturday. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Queensland hero Yellow Brick almost pulled one of the great fairytale upsets in recent Stradbroke Handicap history but the $41 roughie was narrowly outgunned by favourite War Machine in the $3m race at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

It was a bittersweet moment for father-and-daughter trainers Tony and Maddy Sears, who were proud of Yellow Brick’s incredible effort but the moment was tinged with some sadness given they came so close to jagging the $1.8m winner’s cheque.

But they will settle for $540,000 in prizemoney as the runner-up in Queensland’s premier race run on a good track on a sunny day in Brisbane.

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The Straddie is 1400m but if it was run over 1500m on Saturday, the Sears would be popping the champagne corks because Yellow Brick, with Andrew Mallyon on board, was starting to wear down War Machine ($2.65) approaching the winning post.

Tony Sears said he was incredibly proud of Maddy, who had been training Yellow Brick at the pair’s Gold Coast stables before he joined his daughter on the Glitter Strip just two weeks ago.

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“I’m more proud of Maddysen than the horse,” he said.

“She’s done a great job getting him ready.

“I’ve only been down the Gold Coast for two weeks. She’s defied all the odds. People think he wasn’t going very well but we knew he was going well.

“I backed him. We honestly thought he could win. He’s just got to be ridden quiet like that.

“It was unbelievable, she’s done a great job with him.”

Maddy Sears said after the race she was “speechless”.

“He was tremendous,” she said about Yellow Brick, who last won in a $160,000 Listed race over 1400m at Eagle Farm in October.

“That was the favourite (War Machine) in the race and he gave him a fair headstart at the top of the straight.

“He was the widest runner and he had to do things the hard way but I couldn’t be any prouder.”

War Machine WINS the G1 Stradbroke Handicap! 🏆

Tim Clark with a flawless performance in the saddle! pic.twitter.com/oDuyB1gLJN

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 14, 2025

This week Maddy Sears compared five-year-old gelding Yellow Brick to a Labrador Retriever because he “loves to be the centre of attention”.

And although the spoils of victory went to War Machine and Lindsay Park, Yellow Brick sure grabbed his share of attention.

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Meanwhile, champion jockey Craig Williams said another Queensland hero, old warrior Rothfire, was “gallant” in finishing seventh for trainer Rob Heathcote, who would have preferred a softer track.

The seven-year-old Rothfire had battled a hoof injury for the past 10 days after suffering an untimely stone bruise and was lucky to even make the prestigious race.

“From the outside barrier draw he gave me a beautiful ride from there,” Williams said about the 2020 JJ Atkins champion.

“I got on the back of the eventual winner. He travelled so well but the winner was too good for us late.

“He just got a bit tired today and as Rob Heathcote said, he didn’t have the ideal preparation.”

Originally published as Yellow Brick goes agonisingly close to fairytale upset in Stradbroke Handicap