YELLOW BRICK WILL NEED TO FLEX HIS MUSCLES

By Graham Potter | Thursday, January 8, 2026

If weight can stop trains, the Tony and Madysen Sears trained Yellow Brick could have battle on his hands in the $1.5 million Magic Million QTIS Open contest at the Gold Coast on Saturday … arguably more with the handicapper than any of his eleven opponents.

Weighted to carry 61kg, Yellow Brick will have to give a weight advantage away of between 7kg and 9kg to every one of his rivals over the 1300m trip, which is really testing assignment in his first-up run since rounded off a four race Sydney campaign, including two Group 1 runs in the Epsom and the King Charles 111 Stakes … where he took on the likes of the unbeaten Autumn Glow (who has won all eight starts), Ceolwulf (who has won successive King Charles 111 Stakes) … and the list goes on … Mr Brightside, Fangirl, Pride Of Jenni, Pericles, Stefi Magnetica to name a few.

While Yellow Brick could not match it with the best of them in that series of ‘away games’, the impressive looking gelding also did not shy away from the task set him, only once in those four runs did he finish more than 3.25 lengths behind the winner.

Putting those Sydney results in further perspective is the fact, incredibly, given the nature of the opposition, Yellow Brick lumped more weight than the winner in three out of those four contests.

In the Group 3 Show County the Sears trained runner carried 60kg, 4kg more than the winner Lazzura. In the Group 3 Bill Richie he carried 59.5kg, 4kg more than the winner With Your Blessing. In the Epsom he carried 55.5kg, 1kg more than the winner Autumn Glow. In the King Charles 111 Yellow Brick was, at last, on level weights with the winner Ceolwulf … both carrying 59kg.

Boom Torque, who won this race two years ago, is one of only three other runners in the lineup to have raced in Group company, having finished third in the Group 2 Theo Marks at Rosehill all the way back in September 2024 … unplaced in the BRC Sprint in May 2025 and, again, more recently in the Group 3 George Moore just two weeks ago.

Boomtown Boss has had three attempt as Group racing finishing unplaced in the 2024 Group 3 Vo Rogue and the 2025 Group 2 Queensland Guineas and the 2026 Group 3 Fred Best … and you have to go all the way back to the 2021 Group 3 Vo Rogue for Safework’s only venture into Group company.

The last time Yellow Brick raced in Queensland he finished second to War Machine in the Group 1 Stradbroke seven months ago as a $41 chance.

Put that result alongside his subsequent efforts in Sydney and there is no doubt that Yellow Brick is the best horse in the race and, now back on home turf where he can literally stroll across to the track from his Gold Coast stables instead of having to put up with all of the stresses and strains of travelling interstate, he should be all good to go with James McDonald being an important booking for the ride.

The question to be answered now is … can Yellow Brick beat the handicapper?

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