Trainer Maddy Sears says Yellow Brick ‘well over the odds’ for Stradbroke Handicap

After missing a start in the Stradbroke Handicap last year, Yellow Brick has returned a “better horse” for Saturday’s race.

Gold Coast trainer Maddy Sears compares her Stradbroke Handicap contender Yellow Brick to a cute and cuddly Labrador Retriever who loves attention.

The five-year-old gelding is a $34 chance – “well over the odds” according to Sears – for the Group 1 $3m Stradbroke (1400m) on Saturday at Eagle Farm.

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“The best way to describe him is that he’s kind of like a Labrador dog,” said Sears, who trains in partnership with her dad Tony.

“I do everything with him. He’s really cruisy and he loves to be the centre of attention.

“He’s a very easy horse to train and a real happy-go-lucky kind of horse.”

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Yellow Brick was the second emergency in last year’s Stradbroke but failed to secure a start in a race won by Queensland jockey Zac Lloyd on $16 chance Stefi Magnetica.

“He’s well and truly made the field this year and I think he’s a better horse now,” Sears said about Yellow Brick.

“He’s rock-solid fit and we couldn’t be any happier with him.

“He had a good gallop on Tuesday which will put him in good stead for the weekend.”

Maddy Sears has compared Yellow Brick to a a Labrador dog. Picture: Trackside Photography

Brothers Ben, Will and JD Hayes train the $3 favourite War Machine in a wide-open hunt for the $1.8m prizemoney which goes to the winner of Queensland’s premier race.

“I think it’s a very open race and there are very different formlines that are going to come through, it’s definitely an interesting race,” Sears said.

The Sears paid just $20,000 for Yellow Brick in 2021 and with his prizemoney having cracked the $2m mark (including bonuses), the gelding has well and truly been a bargain buy.

Local jockey Andrew Mallyon will ride Yellow Brick with a 53.5kg weight from barrier 8 in the Stradbroke on Saturday.