YELLOW BRICK UNDERLINES HIS CLASS. NOW WILL BE LOOKING TO PLAY A HAND IN THE FIVE DIAMONDS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, October 12, 2024

The Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership continue to do a top-class job with their handling of Yellow Brick with the son of The Mission once again droving home that fact and rewarding the stable with an imperious victory in the Listed Tattersall’s Member’s Cup, over 1400m at Eagle Farm on October 12 … in the process confirming his readiness for up for a crack at Sydney’s summer riches.

The five-year-old’s eight wins from seventeen starts tells its own story of what has already been achieved, while his six runner-up finishes arguable tell another story of what might have been, given that Yellow Brick has not finished any further back than 0,75 lengths in all of his runner-up finishes … and was only just touched off in three of them.

Yellow Brick has finished in the first three in fifteen of his seventeen starts … and the accolades just roll on. The $1.6 million earned in prize-money is a success story in itself. Not a bad return for a $20 000 purchase.

The five-year-old came into the Tattersalls Members Cup off the back of a rousing second place behind Hidden Wealth in the Weetwood. On that occasion he beaten by just half-a-length when conceding a massive 7.5kg to the winner … and he again went into this latest assignment with it all to do at the weights in a race in which he gave between 1kg and 7.5kg to all of his ten rivals.

Oh yes, and he would also have to take it on from a wide, number ten barrier draw.

The respect for Yellow Brick was there in the betting though with the Sears trained runner marked up as the $2.60 favourite with only two other runners, Naval Trader and Bandersnatch quoted at under $11 … at $5 and $8 respectively.

Andrew Mallyon, who had the ride on Yellow Brick for the first time, jumped Yellow Brick well enough at the break and he settled his mount just worse than midfield in seventh than sixth place in the first half of the race, positioned some five lengths off the leader.

Then, in a bunching field approaching the home turn Yellow Brick was four wide … then five wide on straightening, still with four lengths to make up … but in clear air and a straight passage to the line to attack.

Mallyon had ridden Yellow Brick to perfection to get into that position, and he again showed his prowess in terms of judgement when showing a complete understanding of the horse he had under him.

There was no rush to make up ground, no unnecessary urging, because Yellow Brick was seemingly making up ground on his own … his forceful stride putting the opposition under sufferance with the minimum of fuss with Yellow Brick already hitting the lead halfway up the home straight.

The $18 outsider Cranky Harry did give some cheek, but a flick of the wrists from Mallyon was all it needed to ensure that Cranky Harry was only chasing for second place … although Mallyon also did make limited use of the persuader over the concluding stages to help keep Yellow Brick focused all the way to the line.

Now the Sears camp can turn the dial to another trip to Sydney with Yellow Brick. It was always going to be the plan … but it a plan that will now be tackled with renewed confidence following this latest, striking winning performance.

“He goes down to Sydney in two weeks time,” confirmed Tony Sears. “he’ll probably go down on Monday or Tuesday. Leigh and Maddysen are going to take him down on the float.

“He’ll run in the Five Diamonds prelude over 1500m down there. Two weeks later he will run in the Five Diamonds 1800m race.

“After that, hopefully, he will come back … have a short break … just to freshen him up and we’ll set him for the Magic Millions day.

“He is actually eligible for the QTIS race over 1300m worth a million … so we’ve got a few options.”

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