YELLOW BRICK COMES THROUGH FIVE DIAMONDS PRELUDE INTACT - NOW FOR THE $2 MILLION FEATURE

By Graham Potter | Saturday, October 26, 2024

No cigar, but some Sydney joy at last for Yellow Brick.

The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained son of The Mission’s previous two trips down south ended in huge disappointment with Yellow Brick’s proposed schedule having to be aborted on both occasions in the interests of the horse’s well-being … once after being given a gut-buster of a run (not the stable plan) and the other a temperature issue.

Nothing too dramatic, but it could have been enough to take the edge off the stable’s enthusiasm for a Sydney campaign, but with the Sears team convinced of Yellow Brick’s ability to compete at the highest level, it was a no-brainer to keep moving forward.

And so it was that Yellow Brick lined up in the Five Diamonds Prelude over 1500m at Randwick on October 26 … coming into the race fresh from a Listed race victory in the Tatts Members Cup over 1400m two weeks earlier.

Yellow Brick’s reputation saw him installed as the $2.70 race favourite.

Tim Clark jumped Yellow Brick in the leading line at the break, but then went back to fifth, then sixth, in the early part. The Sears trained runner was back up to fourth after the field had travelled 500m, just under four lengths behind the new frontrunner Iknowastar ($8.50), who was a mission, setting a pace that quickly started to stretch the field out.

Back to a narrow fifth in the sweep to the home turn and on straightening, Yellow Brick joined in a line of horses trying to chase down the free-running Iknowastar in the final run home.

Yellow Brick’s chase was strong and sustained but, in the end, as the runners closed up together close to the line, Yellow Brick had to settle for fourth place, just a length off the winner Iknowastar, who got home under an inch perfect ride by Rachel King.

All three runners who beat Yellow Brick home carried 1.5kg less than Yellow Brick, adding further merit to Yellow Brick’s performance … the result giving the stable’s belief a boost as Yellow Brick now heads to the $2 million Five Diamonds on November 9.

That’s eight wins and seven minor placings (including six runner-up finishes) for Yellow Brick now, with the $40 000 he banked for fourth place taking his earnings total to $1 711 850 banked in prize-money!

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