FOLLOW TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS RACING
By Graham Potter | Saturday, October 26, 2024
FOLLOW UPDATED NEWS AND RESULTS FROM THE TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP
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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. Read more ...
YELLOW BRICK COMES THROUGH FIVE DIAMONDS PRELUDE INTACT - NOW FOR THE $2 MILLION FEATURE (OCTOBER 26, 2024)
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The Punisher scored his third career win when taking out a Class 3 Plate over 1400m at the Sunshine Coast on October 20.
It had been eight months since the four-year-old son of Sidestep had visited the winners’ enclosure, and there was a similarity in the road he followed to victory on that occasion to that which brought him to this latest success.
When The Punisher won that BM65 Handicap over 1200m at Ipswich back on February 29, he came into the race on the back of two placed finishers … twice finishing in second place.
This time around it was two successive third places that posted a warning of the win that was to follow, the last of those coming when going down by less than a length over 1350m at Ipswich on October 3.
Melea Castle, who had ridden The Punisher in both of those third place finishes, was again aboard the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained runner on this occasion, with her effort in the saddle being as deserving of the victory as the performance of the horse. Read more ...
THE PUNISHER BACK IN WINNING FORM (OCTOBER 20, 2024)
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Maddy Sears, who trains in partnership with her father Tony, loves a challenge and that is why she is looking forward to a very busy and pretty exciting period over the next couple of months during which time she will face two very different and exacting challenges head-on … one which will be settled in the relative short-term, and the other which will have a more lasting impact on the future direction of the Sears stable.
In essence, the Sears camp is on the march … literally in more ways than one … with Sydney and the Gold Coast set to provide the backdrop to major moves by the stable.
A Sydney trip comes into play next Thursday when Maddy and her mother Leigh will float Yellow Brick, Saturday’s emphatic Tattersalls Members Cup winner, and Red Wave, who has the Ipswich Cup / Toowoomba Cup double to his credit, down south to line up their shot at the Sydney big race riches.
There is a lot at stake with Yellow Brick targeting the $1 Five Diamonds Prelude over 1500m on October 26 and the $2 million Five Diamonds over 1800m two weeks later, while Red Wave will tackle the $750 000 Group 3 Cravan Plate over 1800m on the same day as the Five Diamonds Prelude.
Tim Clark has been booked to ride Yellow Brick. Zac Lloyd will ride Red Wave. Read more ...
IT'S ALL HAPPENING FOR THE SEARS CAMP (OCTOBER 17, 2024)
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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. Read more ...
YELLOW BRICK UNDERLINES HIS CLASS. NOW WILL BE LOOKING TO PLAY A HAND IN THE FIVE DIAMONDS (OCTOBER 12, 2024)
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Winning your home-town cup is something on every trainer’s bucket list … and when it comes with the added achievement of completing a rare Cup double there is just so much more to celebrate.
Enter the Toowoomba based training partnership of Tony and Maddysen Sears and the six-year-old bay gelding Red Wave.
Red Wave had won the $250 000 Ipswich Cup back on June 22, saluting at double figure odds of $17, a result which reiterated the fact that a runner with the consistent level of performance that Red Wave has displayed (he had finishing in the first three places twenty-two times in forty-two starts going into the Ipswich Cup) is overlooked at the punter’s own peril.
Punters were not about to make the same mistake again … particularly with Red Wave racing on home turf and top jockey Ryan Maloney in the saddle … although the $5.50 starting price on offer about Red Wave’s chances when the son of Red Dazzler lined up in the $125 000 Toowoomba Cup on September 28 was still pretty attractive odds.
Red Wave came into the race off a third place finish at Doomben three weeks earlier, which was an important run in terms of priming Red Wave for a peak level performance in the Sears’ teams home town Cup … but he did have it all to do at the weights with the 60kg he was handed by the handicapper meaning Red Wave had to carry between 1.5kg and 8kg more than all but one of his opponents, the exception being the joint top weight Warp Speed, the Townsville Cup winner. Read more ...
RED WAVE GIVES TEAM SEARS A HOME TOWN CUP WIN (SEPTEMBER 28, 2024)
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A drift in the betting ... from already stretched odds of $18 to a starting price of $21 ... meant nothing to the six-year-old chestnut mare Poetic Drama, who just about her business as usual turning in a tough, first-up performance that was too much for her opposition to handle as she secured victory by a 0.20 length margin in a Class 6 Handicap over 1300m at Toowoomba on September 28, the result being a nice appetiser to the Toowoomba Cup later in the day, which the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership was also able to land later with Red Wave.
Two of Poetic Drama’s last three starts before being spelled had come in Listed Silk Stocking ... (in which the daughter of Not A Single Doubt finished second to the Chris Waller trained Thalassophile, who would go on to finish third in both the Tatts Gold Crown and the Grafton Cup) ... and in the Group 3 $200 000 Drinkwise Mile in which Poetic Drama finished unplaced.
In spite of not troubling the scorer in that last mentioned run, those two runs contained enough merit to put Poetic Drama on the radar here, in what really presented as a open race with only one runner, the John Dann trained Quothquan, at $2.90, being quoted under the $3.80 mark. Read more ...
POETIC DRAMA POUNCES LATE UNDER AN INCH PERFECT RIDE FROM JONES TO EARN HER FIFTH CAREER VICTORY (SEPTEMBER 28, 2024)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership landed winners on successive days at Talwood on September 21 and at Warwick on September 22.
Both were low-key meetings, but when you set a target and score a bullseye, any win is important.
Miss Bittersweet started as a sizzling hot favourite at $1.75 at a non-Tab meeting at Talwood ... and then won like any raging favourite should ... streaking her field in a QTIS Maiden Plate over 1400m, rolling home under Liv O’Donnell to win by a resounding five length margin.
Miss Bittersweet, a four-year-old Heroic Valour mare, was winning at the ninth attempt.
If you followed the dust cloud in the replay, you would have seen Miss Bittersweet in front, or disputing the lead, for most of the way, but in a relatively compact field ... that is until the home turn where O’Donnell pushed the button and Miss Bittersweet lengthened her stride to race away from any threat with the minimum of fuss to score an emphatic victory.
Read more .
A DAY TO DAY DOUBLE FOR TEAM SEARS (SEPTEMBER 21, SEPTEMBER 22, 2024)
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Yellow Brick and Sydney ... it’s hardly been a love affair.
Last season Yellow Brick’s campaign aimed at the $10 million Golden Eagle came to a premature end when co-trainers Tony and Maddysen Sears called time on the Sydney schedule after the well performed son of The Mission came back after a trial at Rosehill blowing far more than expected before exhibiting a slow recovery rate.
That disappointment came on the back of a gut-buster run in the Silver Eagle where Yellow Brick was push forward contrary to the stable gameplan and was already left with little to offer halfway up the home straight.
The call to pull the plug and to ignore the temptation of a $10 million race just around the corner was made in the best interests of Yellow Brick’s safety and well-being as per the Sears stable philosophy.
Fast forward ten months and the Sears team and Yellow Brick were once again ready to test the waters in Sydney, lining up last Saturday’s Toy Show Quality as the first target for Yellow Brick on the projected way through to the Bill Richie and then on to the Group 1 Epsom ... but the five-year-old did not get to face the starter.
“He travelled to Sydney on Thursday night. Arrived in Sydney on Friday morning, about six-o’clock,” said Tony Sears, “and about lunch time Maddysen went to check him and took his temperature. Read more ...
YELLOW BRICK - STILL TRACKING TOWARDS THE EPSOM (AUGUST 26, 2024)
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Avone ... now really back on song ... made it back-to-back wins when taking out a BM78 Handicap over 1050m at Doomben on August 24.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained four-year-old was installed as favourite on the back of her runaway, attention attracting win on August 10, starting at $2.25 ... with only two other runners quoted at odds of less than $11 ... and duly saluting by a 0.70 length margin.
Melea Castle, a 3kg claiming apprentice who rode Avone for the first time in her previous victory, was once again in the saddle and she again handled the responsibility with some aplomb after being caught in a pocket at the top of the straight.
As with the pervious win. Castle jumped Avone well enough out of the gates and, once certain she had secured a reasonable position, Castle was happy to allow the Sears trained runner to track the speed, sitting just over two lengths off the leader, saving ground, as the field went down the back stretch. Read more ...
AVONE OVERCOMES TRAFFIC PROBLEMS TO MAKE IT BACK-TO-BACK WINS (AUGUST 24, 2024)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Yellow Brick will leave his Toowoomba base and head to Sydney next week for his assignment in the Group 3 Show County Quality over 1200m at Randwick on Winx Stakes Day on August 24.
The well performed Yellow Brick boasts seven wins and five second places from only fifteen starts with $1 538 850 banked in prize-money.
This will be Yellow Brick’s second sortie south. Last year’s Sydney campaign did not go well in the end, for a couple of reasons, and the stable has tweaked the strategy this time.
“We’re going down and then we are going to come back on the Sunday,” said Maddy Sears. “We are going to go backwards and forwards and not stay down there this time.
“All being well he will go from the Show County into the Bill Richie, a Group 3 over 1400m ... and then hopefully into the Epsom.” (The $1.5 million Epsom is over 1600m at Group 1 level).
“Tim Clark has been booked to ride him in the Show County.”
And the Sears stable has plenty more in the pipeline. Read more ...
SEARS STABLE WARMING UP BEHIND THE SCENES (AUGUST 13, 2024)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Avone regained her best form when outclassing her rivals in no uncertain terms in a BM70 Handicap over 1000m at a Metropolitan meeting at the Sunshine Coast on August 10.
After kicking off her career with two wins and two seconds in her first five career starts ... a series of results which included being beaten by the narrowest of margins by the subsequent Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas winner Abounding in the Listed Gold Edition ... the four-year-old daughter of Spirit Of Boom was unplaced in her next four starts, before coming home in fourth place in a Three-Year-Old Fillies Handicap at Doomben on July 27.
Here, next time out, Avone was a different horse ... or rather ... she was the horse the stable had always thought she was, with the 3kg claim of Melea Castle helping to highlight the impressive galloping speed Avone can generate when in the mood.
Avone, a $6.50 chance, was pushed forward early with Castle electing to take a sit just behind the leading line. Positioned fourth, three lengths off the leader the $26 bolter Fine Your Own, but only a little over a length off second place, Avone was racing well within herself, and it was hardship for her to improve when Castle pushed the Sears trained runner up into second position in the approach to the home turn. Read motre ...
BACK TO BEST AVONE BLOWS AWAY HER RIVALS (AUGUST 10, 2024)
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Red Wave, the Ipswich Cup winner amidst emotional scenes at the track on Saturday, has pulled up well after his sterling feature race effort and he will be given a three week break now before being aimed at the Toowoomba Cup, the home-town cup of the Toowoomba based training partnership of Tony and Maddysen Sears.
The emotion was there for all to see. Tony Sears was just so proud of his daughter Maddysen, he was literally glowing, while Maddysen was dealing with a realm of emotions herself, which had everything to do with her own personal connection to Red Wave.
“I have to say that it was the highlight of my career for a couple of reasons,” explained co-trainer Maddy Sears, looking back at the Cup victory.
“He is a horse that dad (co-trainer Tony Sears) had left me with to my devices. I do his whole training solo on my own ... but, over and above that, just the background behind the horse. He is very special to me and my family ... maybe more so for me being a half-brother to Exondabeach who was one of my first ever racehorses.
“For him to come and do that, it was just a really, really special day.” Read more ...
THE IPSWICH CUP - A WINNING CELEBRATION THAT WAS HEARD AS FAR AWAY AS MACKAY (JUNE 24, 2024)
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This is what racing is all about.
Maybe that is an overused phrase, but Red Wave’s brave win in the Listed Ipswich Cup and the joyous scenes that followed were shining examples of the draw that racing has ... a magnificent animal racing at its capacity for connections that truly love the horse, all wrapped in a feelgood family success story ... it was really good to watch.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Red Wave came into the Cup as a $17 chance. The son of Red Dazzler had not tasted success for fifteen months and sixteen runs but, for all that, the five-year-old had an honesty level to his game ... so often in the placings or thereabouts ... that always made him difficult to overlook and, in spite of turning in an unplaced run that was so out of character in his last start leading into his Cup assignment, the stable was confident enough about his chances on the big day.
With Robbie Dolan, who had ridden Red Wave in eight successive races, moving to the Annable Neasham trained $7.50 chance Regal Lion (last year’s Ipswich Cup winner) Angela Jones got the leg-up on Red Wave this time, a booking which had a very positive vibe to it as Jones had partnered Steady Ready to victory in the Lightning Stakes on June 8, the last time she had ridden for the stable ... and Jones was to play a big part in the win. Read more ...
RED WAVE SCORES A THRILLING IPSWICH CUP WIN (JUNE 22, 2024)
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Three hours after savouring the joy of their Ipswich Cup win with Red Wave, one of the stable’s favourites, the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership signed off the day with a satisfying home town win when Cape Crusader saluted in a BM60 Handicap over 1625m at Toowoomba to, in his own small way, help make June 22 a truly memorable day.
The three-year-old son of Heroic Valour was certainly due for his second career win.
His first win had come in his seventh start in December 2023. That was over 1700m after having steadily built up to that distance which he took on for the first time.
Cape Crusader was given a break from racing after his Maiden win and only resumed four-and-a-half months later on May 9.
In the three starts in this preparation prior to this latest engagement, Cape Crusader finished second (twice) and in third place.
Clearly, he was knocking on the door ... and that door opened with this Toowoomba run, although it took a hard-fought effort in a pulsating finish for the $3.60 second favourite to get the nod from the judge who was called into action after a nail-biter of a close finish. Read more ...
CAPE CRUSADER ROUNDS OFF A MEMORABLE DAY FOR THE TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS STABLE (JUNE 22, 2024)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Yellow Brick made a most welcome and deserved return to the winners’ enclosure when taking out the Listed Spear Chief at Eagle Farm on June 8 to complete a feature race double on the day for the Sears yard.
A winner of six of his first eight career starts in the twelve months from May 2022 to May 2023 (including the King Of The Mountain and the Gold Coast Guineas), Yellow Brick had been winless in six starts coming into this race ... but the fact that he had finished second in four of those runs in races such as the Fred Best and the Gunsynd (both Group 3 races) and the Weetwood and the AJC Cup (both Listed races) ... you could just draw through his run in the Silver Eagle in Sydney ... confirmed that Yellow Brick had lost none of his prowess, but arguably just needed a change of luck.
Yellow Brick was third-up here. In his first two runs this prep, Yellow Brick had it all to do from a wide number fourteen barrier draw on a Heavy 10 track at the Sunshine Coast in the Listed ATC Cup, where he came up just a quarter-of-a-length shy of the win in a very brave effort behind at Witz End.
Yellow Brick then followed that up with another solid run ... but no cigar ... when finishing fifth 1.60 lengths behind Here To Shock in the Group 3 BRC Sprint, a race which gave the winner ballot-free entry into the $3 million Stradbroke.
And so, it was on to the Spear Chief, stepping up the distance test from the 1200m and 1350m of his two previous starts to 1500m, with top hoop James McDonald taking over the reins from Opie Bosson, who had ridden Yellow Brick in his two previous starts. Read more
A PEACH OF A RIDE AND A GUTSY PERFORMANCE PUTS YELLOW BRICK BACK IN THE WINNER'S BOX (JUNE 8, 2024)
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What a day out it was for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership at the Queensland Oaks meeting at Eagle Farm on June 8 ... with the stable securing two Listed race wins in a thrilling race-to-race double in the Lightning Stakes and the Spear Chief Handicap with their stable stars Steady Ready and Yellow Brick.
Steady Ready, who was second-up in the Lightning Stakes, was reunited with jockey Angela Jones for the first time since their win back in October 2023, and the significant relationship they had formed in the past (this horse/rider combination had previously earned two wins and three places in five starts) ... immediately flourished again, with Jones arguably bringing out the best in the four-year-old son of Better than Ready.
Steady Ready’s first-up run had been in the Bat Out Of Hell on a Heavy 10 racing surface at the Sunshine Coast where he hit the front early in the straight, after using plenty of petrol early, only to shift ground and move outwards just inside the 200m mark.
That costly deviation was corrected, but Steady Ready was understandably feeling the pinch due to tackling a heavy track in his first start in five-and-a-half months.
He was beaten but still stayed on strongly enough to claim a creditable fourth place.
In the Lightning Stakes there would be no such speed wobble. Read more ...
STEADY READY, TOO STRONG, TOO FAST IN THE LIGHTNING AS HE BOUNCES BACK TO HIS BEST (JUNE 8, 2024)
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If your horse is going to be beaten, they say second place is better than third place ... but any ‘warmness’ in that consolation prize tends to cool off over time. In fact, if the second places start to pile up without a win, any trainer would be forgiven for thinking that he or she is not in the good books of the Racing Gods.
But, by showing patience and perseverance and trusting in their established procedures, most trainers will tell you the wheel does turn and a semblance, at least, of good times will return.
Co-trainers Tony and Maddysen Sears know all about that.
Between The Gambling Greek’s win on May 8 and Maya Bay’s first-up success on May 25, the Sears team saddled twenty-eight starters for a return of no less than eight runner-up finishes ... including Poetic Drama’s second place in the Listed Silk Stocking and Yellow Brick’s second place in the Listed ATC Cup.
Maya Bay, a six-year-old, chestnut gelding, was the horse that put the Sears camp back in winning form, taking out a BM70 Handicap over1100m at Toowoomba on May 25.
Something of a veteran going into this, her thirty-sixth start, Maya Bay showed renewed vigour first-up after a five-and-a-half month break away from racing, to get the better of the $2.70 favourite Upstart Legend by 0.30 lengths. Read more ...
MAYA BAY SHOWS RENEWED VIGOUR TO WIN FIRST-UP (MAY 25, 2024)
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It was an exciting win, not just because of the professional way in which The Gambling Greek, a two-year-old on debut, went about his business, but because the performance met expectations and added to the promise of the future.
The debut win came in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap over 1200m at Eagle Farm on May 8, with the fact that the race taking place on a soft 7 racing surface only adding to the merit of the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained son of Russian Revolution performance.
The Gambling Greek had two positive trials leading into the race. He won the second of those and showed enough to be installed as a $4 second favourite behind Provance ($2.25) who already had a run under his belt, having caught the eye when finishing second on debut.
The Gambling Greek had no shortage of gate speed and Angela Jones speared the Sears trained runner into an immediate lead.
I’m Heroic ($13) moved up to try and join The Gambling Greek as the field started the sweep to the home turn, but Jones and The Gambling Greek didn’t allow that as Jones just touched the accelerator slightly to make sure she maintained a clear lead and that I’m Heroic didn’t annoy her mount. Read more ...
THE GAMBLING GREEK SCORES A PROMISING DEBUT WIN (MAY 8, 2024)
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The very lightly raced chestnut gelding Nomikai made no mistake when he proved too strong for his opposition in only his third career start to land a Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1200m at Toowoomba on March 28.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained son a Under the Louvre did not race as a two-year-old and only made his debut in December 2023, five months into his three-year-old season.
That resulted in an unplaced finish, but he was only 2.50 lengths off the winner that day and he was then allowed more time again, spending a further two-and-a-half months away from race action. Read more ...
NOMIKAI PUTS HIS NAME ON THE SCOREBOARD (MARCH 28, 2024)
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The Winning Rupert gelding Goldeeluck made it three wins from his last four starts when he saluted in a BM70 Handicap over 1300m at Toowoomba on March 23.
The four-year-old had won the last two starts of his previous preparation at the Sunshine Coast (over 1400m on September 29) and at Warwick (over 1500m on October 14) before being allowed time away from racing for just over four months before resuming with an unplaced run over 1200m at the Gold Coast on March 9.
Here, two weeks after that first-up run, Goldeeluck marginally shifted the distance test up to 1300m where, supported in from $3.30 to $2.80, the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained runner started as the race favourite. Read more ...
GOLDEELUCK WINS AS HE LIKES (MARCH 23, 2024)
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The Jewel Raceday, hosted by the Gold Coast turf Club on March 9, provided the backdrop for a very satisfying double for the Tony and Maddysen Sears / Angela Jones trainer, jockey combination.
While the stable was not represented in either of the two main feature races, Goldeel and Red Top did the Sears team proud when landing a Class 6 Handicap over 1700m and the Quality Gold Coast Stakes over 1800m respectively.
While both were obviously pleasing results, the fact that Goldeel went on with it again here, carrying her last start winning form into the contest to make it two wins in a row, was an important confirmation of the fact that the daughter of Dundeel now seems very much back on track in terms of finding the type of winning touch which at one stage looked likely to propel her through the grades in double quick time.
Angela Jones, who also rode Goldeel in her previous win (over 1700m in a Class 3 at Doomben ten days earlier) gave Goldeel ($7.50) a peach of a ride here.
Barrier number seven in a field of ten was always going to take some managing, and Jones negotiated the first step there, getting Goldeel out well at the jump. Pushing forward, Jones then went looking for the lead, but did that in a measured fashion before getting to the front as the field entered the back straight.
Once in that position, it became a case of how well Jones could rate her mount from the front and how well Goldeel would respond when placed under pressure. Read more ...
A GLITTERING DAY OUT AT THE JEWEL RACEDAY FOR THE TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (MARCH 9, 2024)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Sharp Dazzler continued to fan the fire of his red hot run of form when he saluted for the third race in a row when taking out a QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1400m at Eagle Farm on March 2.
There has just been no looking back for this son of Red Dazzler since he found his winning touch in a Maiden Plate over 1400m two runs ago.
The fact that first win came in as much as Sharp Dazzler’s eleventh start meant the three-year-old was on a slow boil but, boy, once he hit the ground running with that first success, his form-line has just taken off to a new level.
In his second win Sharp Dazzler took out a QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1600m beating, amongst others, his much-vaunted stable companion Jungle Prince.
Sharp Dazzler started at $10 that day, but there was going to be no such favours on the betting boards this time with Sharp Dazzler marked up as the $1.95 favourite, odds which were fully justified by Sharo Dazzler’s performance on the track where he ultimately put his opponents to the sword to win by a little over two lengths.
Cejay Graham, who had ridden Sharp Dazzler in both of his previous wins, again did the honours in the saddle. Read more ...
SHARP DAZZLER GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH (MARCH 2, 2024)
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Just one day after the Team Sears / Jones trainer, rider combination struck at Doomben with Goldeel, the pair were at it again at Ipswich on February 29, where The Punisher took out a BM65 Handicap over 1200m.
It was a fair result in terms of it being a reward for consistency as The Punisher had finished second, and less than a length behind the winner, in each of his last two starts ... yet the presence of the Tony Gollan trained Quade in the race as the outright $2.20 favourite meant that, for all of his positive lead-up form going into this race, The Punisher was still easy to back at $8, possibly also because punters might have been put off by the fact that he would jump from the extreme outside barrier draw (ten out of ten).
Jones got The Punisher away in the leading line to give herself options, but when the speed immediately went on to her inside, she elected to take The Punisher back before slotting in, two wide, all of eight lengths off the lead as Sunny Daze ($19) took the field along at a fair gallop. Read more ...
THE PUNISHER TAKES NO PRISONERS IN A HECTIC, PRESSURE-FILLED, CAVALRY CHARGE TO THE LINE (FEBRUARY 29, 2024)
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After a storming start to her in which she won four of her first nine starts (including three-in-row) it had been a long time between drinks for the Tomy and Maddysen Sears trained Goldeel when she triumphed in a Class 5 Handicap over 1640m at Doomben on February 28.
The five-year-old daughter of Dundeel was fourth up since resuming after a seven month break from racing and she was showing positive signs in the runs leading up to this race, finishing fourth (twice) and then third in her last start, just 0,68 lengths behind the winner, before this Doomben assignment.
Angela Jones, who had partnered Goldeel to three of the mare’s four previous wins and who rode Goldeel in her latest third place finish, was in the saddle again here in a race in which the Sears camp also sent out the year younger gelding Red Top, who would start favourite at $2.80 with Goldeel easy to back at $9.
Jones made sure that Goldeel made every use of her number one barrier by bouncing her mount into a clear led at the break.
Jones then elected to give up the lead ... going back to third place and settling a couple of lengths off the $4 second favourite Binding who pushed forward intent on making every post a winning one. At that stage, Red Top raced just worse than midfield, a little over six lengths off the lead. Read more ...
GOLDEEL IS BACK IN BUSINESS (FEBRUARY 28, 2024)
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Having found his winning touch at his last start ten days earlier, the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Sharp Dazzler went on with it here, taking out a QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1600m at Eagle Farm on February 14 with some aplomb.
The result turned the betting board’s prediction on its head as the race’s strong main fancy, the $1.80 chance Jungle Prince, also a Sears trained runner, was roundly out-performed by his stable-companion Sharp Dazzler who started at double figure odds of $10. Jungle Prince, who was only having his second race start and is still learning his trade, ultimately finished in fourth place.
For Sharp Dazzler and jockey Cejay Graham, who also partnered the son of Red Dazzler to his pervious win, the race panned out perfectly. Read More ...
SHARP DAZZLER CUTS DOWN THE OPPOSITION TO MAKE IT BACK-TO-BACK WINS (FEBRUARY 17, 2024)
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First start for the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable. First win from her new base.
Sound familiar?
That was the story of the black, three-year-old Proisir filly Dear Prudence who claimed her first success in a Maiden Plate over 1000m at the Sunshine Coast on February 11.
The filly arrived at the Sears yard having had two unplaced runs at Hawksbury for trainer Joe Pride, and she was first-up here after five months away from race action ... on a heavy 10 racing surface no less ... so, there was always a chance, in theory, that she might need the run and she did have to jump from the worst of the draw ... two factors which arguably helped see her drift out in the betting from $5.50 to $8.
But, as it turned out, it was an easy watch for the connections of Dear Prudence. Read more
DEAR PRUDENCE SHOWS A MIXTURE OF HEART AND ABILITY TO WIN HER FIRST START FOR HER NEW STABLE (FEBRUARY 11, 2024)
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The three-year-old gelding Sharp Dazzler took control of a 1400m QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate at Eagle Farm on February 7 to claim his first career victory by 1.33 lengths.
It has been a bit of work for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership to get Sharp Dazzler into winning fettle ... eleven runs and three preparations, in fact ... but the positive in that was that while he was building up to a win, Sharp Dazzler banked $47 925 in prize-money, mostly courtesy of a second place finish and four third place finishes.
Two of those third place finishes had come in Sharp Dazzler’s two starts leading into this Eagle farm assignment. Both of those runs were also in town ... at Doomben ... and on both of those occasions the son of Red Dazzler finished less than two lengths behind the winner.
Sharp Dazzler was a drifter in the betting, slipping out from $4.80 to $6.50 to sit on the fourth line of betting, arguably, in part, because of the fact that he had to jump from the extreme outside barrier draw (barrier 10). Read more ...
SHARP DAZZLER PUTS HIS NAME ON THE SCOREBOARD (FEBRUARY 7, 2024)
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A Maiden Plate over 1000m at Dalby on February 3 proved to be easy pickings for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership, jockey Justin Stanley and the three-year-old Santos filly Exclusive Drop ... who romped in by 5.50 lengths at a starting price of $1.55.
It had taken ten starts for Exclusive Drop to get the win, but it had been coming after Exclusive Drop finished a close up third in her previous start at Gatton over the 850m dash.
The heavy track and the steamy conditions at Dalby certainly held no fears for Exclusive Drop, but the short-priced favourite did have to be hustled and bustled by Stanley early and took all of 200m to hit the lead but, effectively, once there, it proved to be ‘race over.’ Read more ...
TOO EASY FOR EXCLUSIVE DROP (FEBRUARY 3, 2024)
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It was a dream debut performance ticking so many boxes.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Jungle Prince looked a picture in the pre-race preliminaries for a Maiden Plate contest over 1350m at Doomben on February 1.
He quickly took up a positive position in the running shortly after the break, after a slightly tardy start, raced fourth then third early, a little over two lengths back, tracking the speed, saving ground, until the approach to the home turn where Jimmy Orman shifted Jungle Prince out one wide and moved into second place with the front-running Peony Surprise ($5.50) firmly in his sights.
When Orman asked the Sears trained runner to extend, Peony Surprise tried to fight off the challenge, but that quickly became an uneven contest as Jungle Prince swept right past Peony Surprise and into the lead with such aplomb that he continued to widen his advantage over the chasing pack with contemptuous ease over the concluding stages to post a winning margin of 3.56 lengths, more than justifying his $2.90 favouritism, which turned out to be a very generous price. Read more ...
JUNGLE PRINCE RULES ON DEBUT (FEBRUARY 1, 2024)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Beau Dazzler, the only Australian based runner in the 2024 edition of the Two-Year-Old Karaka Million, might have only finished seventh in the big race, but his connections were well satisfied with the performance of the Ardrossan colt, given that he arguably had a couple of factors against him on the day.
“We are stoked with how the horse ran,” said co-trainer Maddy Sears.
“We always knew the horse was going to get back ... and it was a very tough meeting for a back-marker. It seemed to be quite a leaders-bias track. If you weren’t in the first three you didn’t have much hope ... and 1200m is really not his go, he is a 1400m to a miler.
“He’ll have a month off now at Waikato Stud. Then, two to three weeks pre-training ... and then we’ll get him ready for the (Group 1) J. J. Atkins.” Read more ...
BEAU DAZZLER HEADING BACK TO THE PADDOCK AFTER HIS KARAKA MILLION ASSIGNMENT (JANUARY 27, 2024)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained My Spy made it back-to-back wins when he landed a QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1600m at the Sunshine Coast on January 27.
The three-year-old had four starts, between February and July 2023, for Annabel Neasham (where his best result was a very close, runner-up finish) before switching to the Sears yard.
My Spy’s positive progression since entering his new surroundings is clear to see.
His first two runs for the Sears camp, looking back, now can be recognised as more or less ‘warm-up’ runs, coming as they did following a four-and-a-half month time away from racing, as well as racing over distances ... 1200m and 1110m ... which were short of his best.
That progression kicked in third-up when the Sears team stepped the distance test up to 1350m in a Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate with My Spy producing a first career winning effort that day when saluting by 0.30 lengths.
There was no hesitation in lifting the distance again here ... this time to 1600m ... and My Spy’s second successive win came in a more clearcut fashion than her pervious success, this time putting a full 2.80 length margin on the hard chasing race favourite Ringer’s Reward ($1.45). Read more ...
BACK-TO-BACK WINS FOR MY SPY (JANUARY 27, 2024)
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Flop Turn River has followed a familiar pattern for horses coming into the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable from another trainer ... that being a steady buildup in fitness, and often in distance, on the road to landing a win.
The Sears team are in fact the third stable to take on the Better Than Ready gelding who came to them with two previous wins under his belt ... both in Mackay, both over 1100m for trainer Ricky Vale ... from his then career total of ten starts.
Flop Turn River’s four starts for the Sears camp has produced a fifth placing (first up after close to a six-month break), a third placing, a second place ... and then this win.
While that clearly was the positive flow of race fitness and a preferred distance kicking in, it was also the astute handling of Flop Turn River by the Sears stable that contributed to his level of progress as, in those four runs, they ran him over 1200m, 1300m, 1625m until ... bang ... the win over 1700m in a BM58 Handicap at Ipswich on January 18.
But ... the win, in a BM 58 over 1700m at Ipswich on January 18, was hard earned. Read more ...
FLOP TURN RIVER SALUTES AT IPSWICH (JANUARY 18, 2024)
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You could certainly make the case for Dazzling Flash to come away the winner of the BM62 Handicap over 1350m at Warwick on January 15 ... and, if you did, you would have been more than happy about the $6.50 price quoted about his chances.
In his ten runs in 2023, Dazzling Flash had won once, finished second four times and finished third four times. Granted, that is not the kind a win ratio that punters are looking for ... and she also came up well short of the mark in his only previous run in 2024 (on January 1), but that was taking on 1625m for the first time.
On consistency alone, she was well worth a second glance and apprentice Tyler Leslight wasted no time in taking the race to the opposition aboard the Sears trained runner, spearing into an immediate lead and then maintaining a strong, but comfortable enough gallop, to both hold his advantage while also starting to string the field out behind him. Read more ...
DAZZLING FLASH PREVAILS IN A PRESSURISED FINISH (JANUARY 15, 2024)
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The second running of the King Of The Mountain (KOTM) at Toowoomba on New Year’s Day once again presented the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Steady Ready with an opportunity to showcase his well above average talent and to nudge his prize-money earnings closer towards the $500 000 mark, now being just $11 600 shy of that milestone.
The son of Better Than Ready didn’t win the race but, under an astute ride from Michael Rodd after an unsteady start, he came through to challenge late, eventually just finishing within 0.30 lengths of reeling in the short-priced favourite Rothfire to claim second spot.
“I thought he was very brave in defeat,” said co-trainer Maddy Sears. “We didn’t want to give Rothfire as much of a head-start as we did, but he slipped quite badly coming out of the gates and that put him in a position where he didn’t want to be.
“If he was better placed early, I believe it would have been a very close finish. I can’t say he would have beaten Rothfire, because Rothfire doesn’t lay down in a finish, but, as I said, we certainly gave him far more of a head-start than we wanted to.
“He hit the line so well. That was probably the best run of his career, I reckon.” Read more ...
THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN COUNTDOWN. STEADY READY 3-2 ... WILL IT BE 1 NEXT YEAR? (JANUARY 2, 2024)
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My Spy, third-up since transferring to the Tony and Maddysen Sears training yard from Annabel Neasham, put his first win on the board when racing beyond 1200m for the first time, taking out a QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1350m at Ipswich on December 29.
The son of Better than Ready only produced two ordinary results in his first two starts in his new surroundings, but an improved level of fitness and a new, preferred distance was ready to help make all of the difference and that possibility was recognised in the pre-race betting where My Spy started favourite at $3.40.
My Spy landed in the leading line, but Ryan Maloney elected to take My Spy back to a position just worse than midfield in the early part, sitting in seventh place some four lengths off the leader.
With the speed on mid-race, My Spy dropped a further two lengths back and there was still plenty of work to do when Maloney angled his mount out on the approach to the home turn to swing all of five wide but, importantly, with a clear run to the line. Read more ...
MY SPY LAPS UP THE LONGER TRIP (DECEMBER 29, 2023)
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A race-day double is nothing new to the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership and they put another double on the board when Inspired Dream and My Spy both saluted at Ipswich on December 29 ... providing a nice flourish for the stable to round off 2023.
Inspired Dream’s win came in a Maiden Handicap over 1200m as a $1.95 favourite.
The daughter of Divine Prophet had raced twelve times for her previous stable (Teresa Bateup), where her best results were two runner-up finishes, over 1400m and 1425m, before transferring to the Sears yard. Read more ...
AN IPSWICH DOUBLE FOR TEAM SEARS (DECEMBER 29)
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Beau Dazzler, the New Zealand bred two-year-old from the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable, will be heading to New Zealand next month to tackle the Karaka Million at Ellerslie on January 27.
Beau Dazzler has had an eventful two career starts to date.
On debut, the son of Ardrossan simply refused to stride out early and was left tailed off all of eleven lengths behind the leader.
When he did settle and pick up his stride the colt quickly moved up, tagged onto the field and then continued his run, gaining ground throughout and, in spite of being five wide on straightening, he kept coming to surge right into contention.
Ultimately, Beau Dazzler was only edged out on the line by a short-head margin, an outcome which strongly suggested that Beau Dazzler’s erratic behaviour in the early running probably cost him the win.
“He was very unlucky in his first start,” said co-trainer Tony Sears. “He tailed right off ... didn’t go at all ... and then hit the line good. He was so far back he was even out of the camera view there at one stage at Toowoomba.”
The positives in that run prompted the Sears stable to send Beau Dazzler straight to town and straight into feature race company where he only faced three opponents in the Listed Phelan Ready at Eagle Farm ... and this time the result would go in his favour. Readv more ...
BEAU DAZZLER IS KARAKA MILLION BOUND (DECEMBER 22)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears stable will be the defending champions going into the King Of The Mountain contest on New Year’s Day at Toowoomba, having won the inaugural running of the race with Yellow Brick last year.
The stable effectively has two slots in the race with stable client Jayven See and Sears Racing themselves both owning slots which have now been filled with the Sears stable runners Steady Ready and Avone.
Steady Ready, who was a relatively early call, will be having a second bite at the cherry having finished third in the race last year.
“Everybody seems to have forgotten about Steady Ready,” said co-trainer Maddy Sears. “At one point he was the boom two-year-old and then suddenly they were saying, ‘whose Steady Ready? I don’t mind that at all. We are happy to have him as one of our runners.”
The Sears slot has taken longer to sort out, but that decision came through yesterday.
“Yes, we’ve got our slot sorted,” confirmed Maddy Sears. “We’ve got Avone ... and dad and I have been pretty keen on having her in it for a bit now. Read more ...
SEARS STABLE LINES UP STEADY READY AND AVONE FOR THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN (DECEMBER 21)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Pairing took six starts to shed his maiden ticket, earning his place in the winners’ enclosure with an emphatic win in a Maiden Handicap over 1800m at the Sunshine Coast on December 17.
In spite of jumping as the $2.80 favourite, the lightly raced, four-year-old son of Pierro, who had finished third over the same track and distance in his previous start, had it all to do on paper going into the race as he not only had to carry the steadying burden of 60kg, but he had to concede weight (between 2kg and 9kg) to all of his rivals ... and this when jumping from the widest draw in a fair sized field (barrier thirteen out of thirteen) with its associated possible traffic problems.
It was no ‘gimme.’ Read more ...
PAIRING'S IMPRESSIVE LAST TO FIRST WIN (DECEMBER 17)
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Summer Carnival racing provided plenty of thrills at Eagle Farm on December 17 where six of the ten races were decided by a margin of less than a length ... and four of those by a margin of less than half a length.
The closest finish came in the Listed Goild Edition ... a real cracker of a race ... in which the Robert Heathcote trained Abounding and the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Avone fought their way to the line in a thrill a stride battle for supremacy, each horse and rider giving their all.
Abounding already had Listed form to recommend her chances going into the race. She was third up here, having won when resuming before finishing second to West Of Dalby in the Listed Mode Plate, both over the Gold Edition distance of 1200m. The $2.70 favouritism suggested she would be spot on for the day.
The lesser experience Avone had only had one start since resuming after a six month break away from racing and she won that well enough, but this Eagle Farm assignment represented not only a jump up in class, but a new distance test.
She had run over 1200m before, but was going from her first up run over 800m to 1400m second-up here ... the first time she would tackle the 1400m trip. With some question marks there, Avone was unwanted in the betting at $17. Read more ...
ABOUNDING OUSTS AVONE IN A LAST STRIDE THRILLER IN THE LISTED GOLD EDITION (DECEMBER 16)
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A three-venue treble for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership!
That was the stable’s very satisfying return on December 9 with Beau Dazzler winning at Eagle Farm, Cape Crusader winning at the Gold Coast and Most Dazzling saluting at Toowoomba.
Pride of place went to Beau Dazzler ... only having his second start and, in spite of racing very green, being good enough to win the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes over 1000m at Eagle Farm.
It wasn’t the colt’s fault that there were only four starters in this $200 000 feature ... how is it that trainers and owners complain about prize-money yet only four horses turn up for a race like this ... but such a small field often translates not a very tricky race and that certainly was the case here.
In assessing Beau Dazzler ... his performance in his debut outing should be noted. Read more ...
BEAU DAZZLER TAKES OUT THE LISTED PHELAN READY STAKES IN ONLY HIS SECOND CAREER START (DECEMBER 9)
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On December 9, while Beau Dazzler was setting a high bar with his win in the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes at Eagle Farm, Cape Crusader and Most Dazzling were also adding their names on the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership honour roll for the day with wins at the Gold Coast and Toowoomba respectively.
Cape Crusader claimed his first career win in a Maiden Handicap over 1700m.
The lightly raced three-year-old son of Heroic Valour had shown glimpses of form before. While not being definitive, his runner-up finish and third place finish in two of his last three starts going into his Gold Cost assignment was enough to see him marked up as a warm $3.40 favourite for the contest with Kotoni on the next line of betting at $5.
It was Kotoni who speared into the early lead with Emily Lang settling Cape Crusader in a comfortable third spot, just two lengths off the leader early on.
That deficit became three lengths as Kotoni extended his lead in the back stretch but, when the field began to bunch up approaching the home turn with Kotoni being given a breather, Lang had Cape Crusader right there, perfectly poised to unleash his challenge. Read more ...
A LISTED WIN IN TOWN AND WINS AT THE GOLD COAST AND TOOWOOMBA. THAT'S PRETTY GOOD WORK (DECEMBER 9)
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Gavilan, an Encryption filly, made light work of her opposition in only her second career start when romping in by a four length margin in the Cannonball, QTIS Three-Year-Old Maden Handicap over 800m at Kilcoy on November 25.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Gavilan did not race as a two-year-old and only saw her first taste of three-year-old race action on November 4, which was really just giving her a sighter of what was to come.
She was unwanted in the betting that day, drifting from $7 to $18 and finishing unplaced, 4.70 lengths behind the winner.
She certainly didn’t need any more racing experience beyond that to get the message of what was required to win, taking her second start in her stride under Nozi Tomizawa... and taking no prisoners in the run, right from the very first stride. Read more ...
GAVILAN IN A CAKEWALK IN ONLY HER SECOND START (NOVEMBER 25)
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It’s been relatively slow progress for the three-year-old Spirit Of Boom filly Avone, but the important point is that you can highlight the word ‘progress’ in that description as the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained filly claimed her second win from only four starts when she proved too strong for her rivals in an 800m dash in a BM60 Handicap at Ipswich on November 23.
And it would be fair to suggest this latest win will have brought her on even further.
Avone raced three times as a two-year-old, finishing second on debut over 1100m at Ipswich on April 19 before shedding her maiden ticket with a win nine days later over the same track and distance.
The early potential shown in those two runs prompted the Sears camp to test Avone’s in feature race company in the city during the Winter Carnival, where she finished unplaced in the Listed Bill Carter behind the likes of the Waterhouse/Bott trained Zia (who was unbeaten at the time with two wins from two starts) and the Robert Heathcote trained Abounding (who had finished second in the Group 3 Ken Russell the race before). Read more ...
AVONE RETURNS TO ACTION WITH A FLUENT WIN (NOVEMBER 23)
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Tony Sears has confirmed that Yellow Brick, a horse he trains in partnership with his daughter Maddysen, will not be defending his King Of The Mountain title when the second running of that race takes place at Toowoomba on January 1.
The well performed son of The Mission has won six races and been placed second on another four occasions from only twelve starts, but his most recent campaign when he ventured south with the aim of tackling the lucrative Golden Eagle in Sydney did not pan out as planned.
An unfortunate gut-buster of a run in the Silver Eagle in the lead up to the Golden Eagle ultimately led to the Sears camp deciding to bring Yellow Brick’s preparation to a premature halt in the best interest of the horse, who was sent to the paddock instead, where he is currently enjoying a lengthy spell.
Yellow Brick might not be there to defend his title, but the stable hopes of scoring back-to-back wins in the King Of The Mountain are still very much alive. In fact, it is alive on two fronts.
The stable already has Steady Ready as a confirmed runner in the race, courtesy of slot holder and stable client Jayven See, who owns Steady Ready, having selected his own runner to represent his slot. Read more ...
YELLOW BRICK WON'T DEFEND KING OF THE MOUNTAIN TITLE. CAN THE STABLE STILL HOLD ONTO THE CROWN? (NOVEMBER 22)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Poetic Drama personifies a horse always ready to give of her best. The word ‘honest’ comes to mind, but that description probably doesn’t do her full justice.
In her latest preparation ... the second for the Sears yard ... the five-year-old chestnut mare has raced eight times for two wins, three runner-up finishes, and one fourth place, maintaining a lively level of consistency which has helped the daughter of Proisir gather a very healthy overall haul of $230 510 in career prize-money in twenty-seven starts.
Poetic Drama’s latest win, the fourth of her career, came in a BM78 Handicap over 1600m at the featured Metropolitan meeting at the Sunshine Coast on November 18 with top apprentice Cejay Graham guiding her fortunes from the saddle.
Graham had ridden Poetic Drama in her two runs leading into the Sunshine Coast assignment (for a second and a fifth-place finish, both over 1600 at Doomben and Eagle Farm respectively) and the experience that she gained from getting to know Poetic Drama previously was arguably a factor in Poetic Drama being able to surge to a strong victory ... because Graham rode it to perfection. Read more ...
NO DRAMA HERE. THE MARE WAS JUST TOO GOOD (NOVEMBER 18)
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The third and final part in a series of articles on HRO on a road-trip in search of a multi-million-dollar pay-day! It was an ambitiouis undertaking that, unfortunately, never even reached its final destination. Here, is the conclusion of that story.
It was a campaign launched with justified optimism … a campaign which hit a speedbump … and finally a campaign which never recovered from that setback leading to a decision being made which was one hundred percent correct.
With the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership the welfare of the horse always comes first and their withdrawal of their stable star Yellow Brick from the $10 million Golden Eagle stems directly from that stable philosophy.
A $10 million race or a Maiden Plate … it doesn’t matter. That philosophy doesn’t bend to accommodate the occasion.
Yellow Brick’s trial at Rosehill on Friday morning (October 27) and the immediate aftermath of that effort rang some warning bells. It was not a bad result on paper … finishing third behind the Group 1 placed Cannonball (who finished third in The Galaxy) and Cepheus (who has hit top form heading for The Big Dance), but the Sears camp’s trained eye thought he should have been hitting the line better than he did.
Warning bell number one! Read more ...
FOLLOWING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD – PART 3
REALTED ARTICLES:
FOLLOWING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD – PART 1
FOLLOWING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD – PART 2
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The Red Dazzler mare Dazzling Flash ($5) claimed the third win of her career when she cut down the $2.90 favourite Wowit’s Willywonka in the home straight to win a Class 3 Handicap over 1300m at Toowoomba on October 21.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained runner had finished in the first three places in five of her six previous starts ... including three runner-up finishes ... so the win was certainly due and deserved on consistency alone.
Nozi Tomizawa landed Dazzling Flash in the leading line at the break, but then let the speed go as he settled the Sears trained runner in fourth then fifth place in the first half of the race.
Wowit’s Willywonker was the runner up front, striding out with meaning, trying to make it an end-to- end win and, by mid-race Dazzling Flash had dropped all of four lengths off the favourite. Read more ...
DAZZLING FLASH SHINES AT TOOWOOMBA (OCTOBER 21)
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Ryan Maloney has been booked to ride the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Yellow Brick in the Golden Eagle at Rosehill Gardens on November 4.
Maloney has just returned to Queensland after basing himself in Sydney for the first couple of months of the new season, but he will be eyeing a big return to Sydney action in the $10 million feature race in which Yellow Brick will be looking to gain traction again after his Silver Eagle effort turned into a non-event.
Rushed into the lead there by Craig Williams, ridden upside-down, totally out of his comfort-zone after specific instructions had been issued that ‘under no circumstances’ would Yellow Brick lead, it proved to be all too much for Yellow Brick on the day as he faltered and fell away early in the home straight.
Williams said he had reasons for doing what he did … he pushed forward because he didn’t want to get caught wide … and a post-race scope of Yellow Brick did reveal a bit of mucus in his trachea, but it will forever remain an unknown as to whether it was the forceful, forward ride on a horse, who prefers to come from behind, the results of the scope or a combination of both that imploded Yellow Brick’s best laid plans. Read more ...
RYAN MALONEY BOOKED FOR GOLDEN EAGLE RIDE (OCTOBER 18)
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The second in a series of articles on HRO on a road-trip in search of a multi-million-dollar pay-day!
Whatever the factors were that contributed to Yellow Brick’s disappointing performance in the Silver Eagle, the most important point of all, overriding everything else, was that once everything had settled later, co -trainer Maddy Sears was able to confirm that all was well with Yellow Brick and that he would continue on with his campaign towards the Golden Eagle.
Not that there wasn’t a real moment of concern when Yellow Brick started to come under pressure and aborted his challenge early in the home straight when ridden upside-down at Randwick.
“We did have high concern at that time, worried that something very wrong with him and that the horse himself was not ok.” said Sears.
“My heart was in my throat waiting and watching him come back, just hoping that he would come back safely. I was so, so worried … and my phone was just blowing up with people trying to ring me and text me to ask if he was ok.
“The vet scoped him about an hour after the Silver Eagle and there was a bit of mucus in his trachea and he was quite distressed after the run. Obviously, he had a gut-buster. Those early sectionals were the fastest the horse had ever run in his entire career. He never got a breather at all and just went so hard. Read more ...
FOLLOWING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD – PART 2
REALTED ARTICLE:
FOLLOWING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD – PART 1
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It really was a run too bad to be true.
It’s racing. It happens … but, whatever the expectations were for Yellow Brick in the $1 million Silver Eagle (he did start third favourite at $4.80 after topping the boards for much of the pre-race betting) the level of disappointment for connections was understandably high given the fact that his race was already run when others were only getting started.
That sinking feeling would have come into play on a serious level approaching the 300m mark in the home straight when it became apparent that Yellow Brick, who led the field up, was about to be swallowed up by a host of runners.
Disappointment for connections would turn to dismay. Dismay would, in turn, give way to concern that something was wrong. What was being witnessed was just so out of character for the Sears trained runner.
The preparation for the Silver Eagle had been flawless. Yellow Brick took the trip to Sydney in his stride and settled into his new surroundings as if he was at home but, once the race was underway, it didn’t take long for things to start to unravel.
In Yellow Brick’s previous race … The Weetwood … a ‘mistake,’ if you can call it that … the fact that he led … arguably helped contribute to Yellow Brick being run down in the very last stride. If nothing else, co-trainer Tony Sears was at pains to stress that would not happen again.
Talking to Racenet in the lead-up to the Silver Eagle, Sears said: "We were disappointed he led (in the Weetwood). There was never any discussion around him leading. I can guarantee you he won't be leading on Saturday.”
Yet, just 400m into Silver Eagle, there Yellow Brick was, not only leading, but being pushed out to lead by jockey Craig Williams who seemed intent on not letting the speed come around him in the early part. He just kept urging Yellow Brick forward past all of the other runners on the early speed as commentator Darren Flindell described the hectic race for the lead as “what a mad go for the front.” Read more ...
A SILVER EAGLE ANTI-CLIMAX FOR YELLOW BRICK, BUT HE'LL BE BACK TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY (OCTOBER 14)
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It was back to the good times for Steady Ready when the four-year-old entire claimed his third career victory in a Class 3 Plate over 1000m at Eagle Farm on October 14.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained son of Better Than Ready had hit the ground running in no uncertain terms when he blazed his way onto the racing scene back in March 2022 when he attracted strong attention with a 13.30 length romp in a trial win and then backed that up with an equally as solid debut performance in which he triumphed by 5.75 lengths.
In the seven starts subsequent to his debut win, Steady Ready recorded a runner-up finish in the Listed Dalrello over 1000m and a third place result in the Listed Gold Edition over 1200m … as well as another win in a 900m dash at the Gold Coast, all of which emphasized the range of his above average ability.
When he came into the Eagle Farm assignment on October 14, Steady Ready was second-up. He had resumed at Toowoomba after an eight-month layoff with a close-up third place finish and he was expected to show the benefit of that run over what is arguably his best trip … the 1000m distance.
Angela Jones, who was in the saddle in Steady Ready’s previous win at the Gold Coast, was handed the reins again here, and she jumped the Sears trained, heavily backed $1.75 favourite smartly from the number one barrier and she then positioned Steady Ready in a close-up, second place, tracking the speedy $18 chance Liquor at a lively gallop to the home turn. Read more ...
STEADY READY BACK TO HIS BEST (OCTOBER 14)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Goldeeluck has suggested he had learnt how to win last time out when he produced a spirited late charge and hit the line hard to claim a victory which had looked unlikely with 100m left to run.
That new-found focus and sense of purpose would be tested again … but in different circumstances … when Goldeeluck lined up for a Class 2 Plate over 1500m at Warwick on October 14, this time with Nozi Tomizawa in the saddle in a race in which he would jump as the $3 favourite.
As per his previous race pattern, Goldeeluck raced in midfield, back in sixth place some five lengths off the speed, hugging the inside running rail for the first half of the race.
The long-time leader Jimmy Neutron ($6) still held the advantage as he brought the field into the home straight, but his rivals were now lining up to have a shot at him and, of those, courtesy of that rails hugging ride, Goldeeluck, saving ground, was quickly up to second place and now in full cry after Jimmy Neutron.
The latter did kick on, but Goldeeluck took his measure just inside the 200m mark to sweep into the lead.
Not that the job was done yet. He still had to ward off a wall of challenges. Read more ...
BACK-TO-BACK WINS FOR GOLDEELUCK (OCTOBER 14)
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The first in a series of articles on HRO on a road-trip in search of a multi-million-dollar pay-day!
It is perhaps fitting that the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained gelding Yellow Brick is sired by The Mission. Certainly, that is exactly what the quality four-year-old is on ... with the Sears camp now having taken Yellow Brick’s campaign south from his home state of Queensland, ultimately aiming to compete against the best there is in the $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on November 4.
Yellow Brick last raced in his big home-town feature race at Toowoomba on September 23 in which he went down in heart-breaking fashion in the very last stride in the Weetwood in a result where the margin was so narrow it was hard to call with the naked eye.
That took Yellow Brick’s race record to six wins, four second places and one third place from only eleven starts for the lightly raced four-year-old, whose career has been so well managed by the Sears training partnership who have carefully chartered a course which has set him up to his best advantage in selected feature races.
Yellow Brick won five of his first six starts and has won up to Group 3 level when taking out the Gold Coast Guineas, adding that win to his King Of The Mountain feature race success.
To date, Yellow Brick has earned $1 399 600. His next run, on Saturday, is in the $1 million Silver Eagle which would be a big prize in itself, but, it is also Yellow Brick’s lead-in run to the $10 million Golden Eagle three weeks later. The first place prize-money in each of those events is $580 00 and, wait for it, $5 250 000 respectively. Read more ...
FOLLOWING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD – PART 1 (OCTOBER 11)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Goldeeluck has paid his way from day one.
The son of Winning Rupert finished second on debut then wasted no further time in putting his first win on the board, saluting at his second start over 1200m at Toowoomba on December 31, 2022 … the day that the Sears stable won The King Of The Mountain with Yellow Brick.
As much as he paid his way though, his results … while always honest in effort … were also a touch frustrating as, in seven starts over the period from January 23, 2023 to September 6, 2023, Goldeeluck failed to add to his winning total … this, in spite of seldom running a bad race.
In fact, that run of results included a run of three successive second placings and, in two of those finishes, he was only touched off by the narrowest of margins. There was also two creditable third placings in there, but the fact remained that next win was proving to be elusive.
That was until the four-year-old was set the task of tackling a Class 1 Handicap over 1400m at the Sunshine Coast on September 29, coming back to the more preferred trip again following an ordinary run when asked to try 1849m in town at Eagle Farm in his previous start. Read more ...
GOLDEELUCK FINDS THAT WINNING TOUCH (SEPTEMBER 29)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Adelad stepped up to the plate in no uncertain terms when he trounced his opposition in the Listed Magic Millions Garden City Guineas over 1625m at Toowoomba on September 23 – Weetwood Raceday.
The three-year-old son of Adelaide, who was surprisingly easy to back at a starting price of $8 after landing a city win at Eagle Farm in his prevbious start, made every use of both his home track advantage and his good barrier draw (he jumped from barrier three) with Andrew Mallyon settling the Sears trained runner in a comfortable fourth then fifth position, on the rail and no more than four lengths back, in the early part as the field went down the back straight.
Mallyon wasn’t about to die wondering though when the field approached the home.
Riding as if he was on the best horse in the race (which would prove to be the case), Mallyon quickly switched Adelad three wide into clear galloping room just before the point of the home turn and moved up to third place on straightening, now just a length-and-a-half behind the $18 chance Capital Cee, who had hit the front after likewise making an early move for home. Read more ...
ADELAD ROMPS HOME IN THE GARDEN CITY GUINEAS (SEPTEMBER 23)
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"This race means the world to me and my family.”
Those words, spoken by ten-time Metropolitan Trainer’s Premiership winner Tony Gollan after he had claimed his first success in the Weetwood Handicap with the last stride win of All That Pizzazz at Toowoomba on Saturday were heartfelt and expressed a particular level of satisfaction that has been a long time in the making.
For the Toowoomba born trainer, who cut his teeth at a track where his father was racing royalty, this win was indeed something very special … not only because it ticked a box that had been missing on his resume, but because it wrote a new chapter in the rich family history in the region.
The race was meant to belong to the Tony and Maddysen Seras trained Yellow Brick, a $1.45 favourite (in from $1.85). Yellow Brick’s dominated the betting boards to the extent that only two other runners, Situation Room, the shortest priced of the trio of Gollan runners at $7.50, and All That Pizzazz at $11 were quoted at odds of better than $16.
And it did belong to Yellow Brick for everywhere except where it mattered most.
From the get-go it was clear that Jimmy Orman had every intention to push Yellow Brick forward from the number ten barrier, but it was something of a surprise when the Sears trained runner found the lead after 200m, a position maintained at a confident gallop throughout the run to the home turn. Read more ...
ALL THAT PIZZAZZ AND YELLOW BRICK FIGHT OUT AN EPIC FINISH IN THE WEETWOOD (SEPTEMBER 23)
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The Toowoomba based training partnership of Tony and Maddysen Sears wouldn’t swop places with any other trainer as they head towards their biggest ‘home game’ of the season on Saturday where the Toowoomba Turf Club will host the 2023 edition of Weetwood Day.
Pride of place in the Sears equine armory is their tried and trusted warrior Yellow Brick, a six-time winner with four minor placings from only ten starts who has already racked up $1.1 million in prize-money, courtesy of wins in the inaugural running of the King Of The Mountain and the Gold Coast Guineas, with hard luck, runner-up finishes, most significantly in the $2 million Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas, also adding weight to his bank balance.
Yellow Brick will tackle the Listed Weetwood first-up from a wide barrier draw with a new jockey in the saddle … Jimmy Orman replaces Ben Thompson … and he will kick off at 1200m (his last run three-and-a-half months ago was over 1600m). He will also have to give away a weight advantage to all but one of his rivals, but, with the son of The Mission’s undisputed quality already well and truly established in his relatively brief career … and with the ceiling of his ability still unknown … Yellow Brick will go out onto the track as the horse to beat in the big race. Read more ...
TEAM SEARS HEADS THE LOCAL CHALLENGE AT THE WEETWOOD / TOOWOOMBA CUP FEATURE RACE DAY (SEPTEMBER 22)
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The consistent, chestnut mare Poetic Drama scored the third win of her career when she was faultless when adding a BM70 over 1400m at Eagle Farm on September 16 to her list of credits.
All three of her wins have come at this city track ... and all three wins have come in her seven starts since transferring the Sears stable from Team Hawkes for whom she had sixteen starts.
Poetic Drama certainly was entitled to claim this latest win and enjoy a change of fortune after finishing runner-up in both of her two previous starts when coming home less than a length behind the winner on each occasion.
Andrew Mallyon, who had ridden Poetic Drama in those two second place finishes, was once again in the saddle here and he wasted no time in getting Poetic Drama (the $3.70 favourite) into prime position after the break, racing in third place, just two lengths off the lead, as the field went down the back stretch. Read more ...
POETIC DRAMA'S CONSISTENCY FINDS ITS DUE REWARD (SEPTEMBER 16)
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Adelad, second-up and lifting the distance test from 1350m to 1500m with Cejay Graham’s 2kg claim bringing some weight relief to the 61kg the son of Adelaide had been set to carry, prevailed in a thriller to claim the second win of his career in his eighth start when he landed a BM70 Handicap at Eagle Farm on September 2.
All of those factors were to Adelad’s advantage but, in spite of that, the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained runner had to call on something extra to complete the job, namely a will-to-win focus that gave no inch in a tough, stride-for-stride battle with Capital Cee over the final 100m.
Adelad and Capital Cee, who had jumped as equal favourites at $4 and who were ridden by two apprentices taking the metropolitan scene by storm, took different paths in the race before coming together to fight out a grandstand finish.
Cejay Graham had Adelad in fourth spot, a little over two lengths off the lead in the first half of the race whereas Bailey Wheeler took Capital Cee back to last from the wider draw, racing some seven lengths off the speed which placed him a little under five lengths behind Adelad at that stage. Read more ...
ADELAD SHOWS HIS FIGHTING QUALITIES AS HE EDGES OUT CAPITAL CEE IN A CRACKERJACK OF A CONTEST (SEPTEMBER 2)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained stable star Yellow Brick won his trail at Doomben this morning.
There were no fireworks, just a strong workmanlike session with the son of The Mission doing all he was asked to in a satisfactory fashion, ... an effort which pleased his co-trainer Maddy Sears.
“We were really happy with him today,” said Sears. “We are stoked with him actually. He is well and truly on track.
“We thought he would have a bit of a blow ... which he did. Looking at him going out, he looked a bit pudgy.
“He was a little bit slow away, but Jimmy (Orman) just gave him a dig and he got up on the bridle ... and Jimmy said he felt like he was doing his best work late when horses came up alongside him.
“He’ll have another jump-out and most likely an exhibition gallop ... and then we’ll be ready for the Weetwood.” Read more ...
A RAFT OF BIG RACE OPTIONS AWAIT YELLOW BRICK (AUGUST 30)
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Where has Steady Ready been?
That was the question that many asked when the once boom runner from the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable appeared at an official trial at Doomben this week, having last tasted race action back at the end of January ... a race in which he came home in third place as a beaten favourite at the restrictive odds of $1.65.
“He had to have a very minor operation on both of his knees after that run at the Sunny Coast, where everyone thought he was quite disappointing. That’s why he has been away,” explained co-trainer Maddy Sears.
“So, he had both knees operated on. The way it has worked out it was probably a blessing in disguise because he is a bigger, stronger horse now and his work has been absolutely impeccable. Read more ...
STEADY READY ON HIS WAY BACK ... A BIGGER AND STRONGER HORSE THAN BEFORE (AUGUST 30)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership generally finds a way to get a horse to win irrespective of its level of ability it is currently showing ... and sometimes that success arrives far away from any mainstream focus ... as was the case with the four-year-old mare Red Shiraz, who won her eighth start at a non-TAB meeting at Warra after making the 128km trip from her home base at Toowoomba. Read more ...
NOTHING WRONG WITH PLACING THEM WHERE THEY CAN WIN, WHEREVER THAT MIGHT BE (AUGUST 26)
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August 19 was a relatively quiet Saturday for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership who only had two runners on the day, but their scoreboard seldom has a day off and once again the stable added to their winning tally when Montana Lady claimed the third win of her career when taking out a Ratings Band 0-62 Handicap over 1000m at Toowoomba.
Coming in on the third line of betting at $4.80 in a six-horse field, Montana Lady was chased out of the gates early by Anthony Allen before settling in fourth place, a little under four lengths off the leader for the first half of the race.
Montana Lady went back to second last but was now just three lengths off the speed as the field negotiated the sweep to the home turn and she still had those three lengths to make up when the field turned for home with Montana Lady cornering three wide. Read more ...
MONTANA LADY GRINDS OUT A THIRD CAREER WIN (AUGUST 19)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Red Top kicked off his four-year-old season in winning style, claiming the third success of his career when he took out a Class 3 Handicap over 1600m at Eagle Farm on August 16.
The son of Top Echelon’s previous win had come in the last start of his previous preparation ... also at Eagle Farm, but over 1820m. Interestingly enough, that win came seven runs into that preparation and when Red Top faced the starter for this latest assignment, he was making his sixth start in this latest preparation.
The fact that Red Top had finished runner-up in his start leading into this race 9in fact in two of his previous four starts) saw him installed as the $2.20 favourite, a little over a point shorter than Ocean Zar, who was marked up at $3.30.
Red Top landed in the lead from the number 1 barrier draw, but Andrew Mallyon, who retained the ride after piloting Red Top to both of those second-place finishes, was happy to settle in third spot early ... and then fourth when the $11 chance Kennysing launched around his field to take up the running down the back stretch. Read more ...
RED TOP WINS ONCE AGAIN WHEN WELL INTO HIS PREP (AUGUST 16)
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While the old cliche concedes that there is no certainty in racing, a few exceptions to the rule can be found and the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership pulled one of those out of the hat when they took the two-year-old gelding Top Fun to Gatton on July 25 to contest a QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap over 860m.
A starting price of $1.75 was about the right odds for a horse that was coming into this Provincial race meeting contest off the back of two city, Saturday feature race outings in the Jewel Prelude at Eagle Farm (in which Top Fun finished third, just 0.75 lengths behind the useful Spin Doctor) and in the $500 000 QTIS Jewel itself at Doomben (when finishing a little over four lengths behind the winner, Mishani Missile).
There was nothing even closely resembling that level of opposition at Gatton and so the top weight of 59kg was hardly likely to trouble the son of Top Echelon … and neither was the fact that he was first-up since the Jewel as he had already had a pervious first-up win on his record.
The race ultimately panned out as the form predicted it would.
THE 'GOOD THING' GETS THE JOB DONE (JULY 25)
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It is not often you see a smile of that size on the face of trainer Tony Sears!
It was a Saturday at Doomben (July 8) and the eight-year-old New Zealand bred gelding Baanone had just prevailed in a highly pressurized finish (less than half-a-length covered the first five runners across the line) to secure a BM90 Handicap over 1800m.
A win is a win … is a win … but when it comes at a starting price of $31! Well, let’s just say it adds to the pleasure of those who ignored the ‘unwanted in the betting’ signs.
And, while it is easy to be wise after the event, there was some reason to ignore any negative suggestions about the chances of the son of Shocking, the 2009 Melbourne Cup winner.
Those reasons lay in a dissection of Baanone’s previous run at Ipswich in a BM78 Handicap over 1666m.
Unwanted there too at $41, Baanone jumped from the number ten barrier draw … went back to race near the rear of the field for much of the trip … was ridden for luck down the inside on straightening … got none … tried to get out … couldn’t … and, as a consequence, went to the line virtually untested to finish 3.70 lengths behind the winner Mississippi Prince.
While there was nothing definitive in that run suggesting Baanone would be a winner next time out, there was enough excuses to suggest he might be worth another chance. Read more ...
BAANONE SILENCES THE DOUBTERS (JULY 8)
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Nothing like a three venue Saturday treble to highlight the expertise of a stable in placing horses of different levels of capability in races where their individual potential can be best realized.
On July 8, seven days after landed a double at Toowoomba, the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership brought home another three winners when Baanone saluted at Doomben, Allora Enzo took the honours at Toowoomba and Straight Alphas won at Esk.
Baanone’s win in town was special (see separate story) but the ‘lower league’ results at provincial and country venues are just as important for the connections of horses involved at those venues and the Sears stable is one of the leaders in making good on that revenue return stream option.
Allora Enzo won for the second time in four starts since transferring to the Sears yard from the Steven O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted stable … and the second time in his last three starts … when taking out a Class 1 Handicap over 1625m at Toowoomba with Nozi Tomizawa in the saddle. Read more ...
TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP LANDS A THREE VENUE TREBLE (JULY 8)
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A home-town double is nothing new for the Tony and Madisen Sears training partnership.
There is no set formula for achieving this target and on the night of July 1 at Toowoomba the Sears double arrived via a short-priced favourite and a winner at double-figure odds.
The $11 chance Terrius was the first to strike in a BM65 Handicap over 1625m.
Barrier draw number seven in a field of nine held no fears for Nozi Tomizawa who speared Terrius across from his wide draw … clearly intent on taking no prisoners from the outset.
The strong early move strung the field out in no uncertain terms, to the extent that Terrius led the second placed Lucky Bean (the $2.25 favourite) by a little under three lengths as he took the field down the back straight.
From the midway mark Lucky Bean began to get closer and started to apply pressure to Terrius as these two runners raced together to the point of the home turn.
Also, at that point, some serious runs were starting to come from behind.Read more ...
ANOTHER HOME TOWN DOUBLE FOR TEAM SEARS (JULY 1)
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Inuwashi, an Irish-bred son of Free Eagle, made it two city wins in-a-row when he took out a BM72 Handicap over 2212m at Eagle Farm on June 28.
A touch of irony here was that on this occasion Inuwashi, who had previously been trained by Chris Waller, beat Chernak, a current Chris Waller trained runner, home to get the chocolates.
Inuwashi and Chernak were the two favourites for the race at $3 and $3,70 respectively, and they duly finished in the order suggested by the betting boards after the race had unfolded in an interesting way.
Inuwashi was tardy away and, as with his previous win, he went back after the break … this time settling right at the rear of the field racing some two lengths behind the second last horse as the field passed the winning post for the first time.
That second last placed horse was Chernak. Read more ...
BACK TO BACK WINS FOR A POSSIBLE EMERGING STAYER (JUNE 28)
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The Irish-bred Inuwashi scored his first win for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership when he prevailed in a rousing two-horse battle to win a BM70 Handicap over 2040m at Doomben om June 14.
The son of Free Eagle had raced twelve times for two wins (over 1600m and 1900m) for trainer Chris Waller before being transferred to the Sears camp, who gave him his stable debut, first-up over 1350 back in March. Read more ...
INUWASHI SHOWS FAIR STAYING PROMISE (JUNE 14)
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Punters expected Yellow Brick to ‘just win’ when he lined up in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic over 1600m at Eagle Farm on June 10 … Stradbroke Day … but that old racing adage that there is no certainty in racing came back to bite them.
Yellow Brick, who started at the restrictive odds of $1.35, began well, but again quickly drifted back to just worse than midfield as the field went down the back stretch,
racing a full seven lengths off the leader End Assembly ($6.50) and, more importantly in terms of how the race would pan out, four lengths behind Rediener.
Ben Thompson did move Yellow up in the sweep to the home turn, but he did so racing a full five wide at the point of the turn.
Rediener ($9.50), who held a slight edge, and Soothsayer ($14) surged to the head of affairs early in the home straight and immediately joined issued in a spirited stride for stride battle.
In the first half of the straight Yellow Brick struggled to make any inroads on the two leaders. While always putting in, it would be fair to say it took a while for Yellow Brick to hit his straps and, when he did, he showed why he is held in such high esteem. Read more ...
A RESULT WHICH AGAIN UNDERLINED THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO CERTAINTIES IN RACING (JUNE 10)
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Between the stable double at Toowoomba on May 20 and the Gatton meeting on June 9, the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership returned no less than four second and four third placed finishes. Solid stables can do that … keep things ticking over nicely enough until the next winner comes around.
Train Rock was the horse to break that ‘drought’ when he saluted in a QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1600m at that June 9 meeting at Gatton … and, in fact, the son of Mail Train was turning around his own fortunes as well as he came into the race off the back of two runner-up finishes himself. Read more ...
TRAIN ROCK PREVAILS IN A PRESSURISED FINISH (JUNE 9)
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One run … win or lose … doesn’t define a season for any racehorse, but, that being said, there was an understandable, fair level of disappointment for the Sears stable when Yellow Brick finished second in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic over 1400m at Eagle Farm on May 27.
The disappointment was not about that individual race result in itself … Yellow Brick turned in good performance … but, rather, it was the fact that the winner of the Fred Best (who turned out to be Hawaii Five Oh) gained a ballot free exemption into the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap, a race in which many people believed Yellow Brick would have been competitive. Read more ...
STRADBROKE HOPES TAKE A HIT AS YELLOW BRICK FINISHES SECOND IN THE FRED BEST CLASSIC (MAY 27)
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There’s nothing like a home-town double to keep a smile on your face and the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership put that score on the board at Toowoomba on May 20.
Montana Lady, racing first-up, saluted in the second race on the card, winning a Fillies and Mares BM62 Handicap by a clearcut 1.50 length under the guidance of Nozi Tomizawa.
The three-year-old daughter of Red Dazzler, who has now finished in the first three places in six of her twelve starts – this was her second win, landed in the leading line at the break before settling into a close-up third placing, sitting just over a length back as she tracked and then stalked the two leaders down the back stretch and through the sweep to the turn.
It was pretty clinical from there as Tomizawa angled Montana Lady ($5.50) out two wide on the home turn after which she simply proved too strong in the run home, passing the two early frontrunners … the $3 favourite Thawra and Yourallthat ($6.50) … in confident fashion while also having more than enough in hand to ward off the late challenge of Irish Maudie ($4, who ran on well enough to claim second place. Read more ...
A HOME TOWN DOUBLE FOR THE SEARS RACING STABLE (MAY 20)
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Allora Enzo, a lightly raced five-year-old gelding, claimed his first career success in his second start for the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable when he won a Maiden Handicap over 1400m at Gatton on May 12.
The win had been a long time coming, arriving a full twenty-three months after he made his debut for the Steven O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted training partnership back on June 16, 2021 with Baylee Nothdurft in the saddle. (Nothdurft has long since retired).
In the nine months that Allora Enzo was under O’Dea and Hoysted’s care, the son of Proisir had shown to fair enough advantage … scoring no less than four runner-up finishes, two thirds and two fourth place finishes in eight starts, four of which were in town … but that first win remained an elusive target throughout that period of time which extended to June 16, 2021 to March 2, 2022.
Following that March run, it would be thirteen months before Allora Enzo was next sighted on the track. In-between times he had switched stables, transferring to another training partnership, that of the Tony and Maddysen Sears, who sent Allora Enzo to trial at Toowoomba on April 3, 2023. Read more ...
CHANGE OF SCENERY DOES THE TRICK FOR ALLORA ENZO (MAY 12)
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This is a serious racehorse!
It wasn’t just the fact that the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained three-year-old Yellow Brick won the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas at the Sunshine Coast on May 6 ... or the fact that this victory took Yellow Brick’s race record to six wins from only eight starts ... or the fact that his prize-money earnings currently stand at just over $1.2 million only seven months into his racing career ... but, rather, that ‘serious racehorse’ tag was rubber-stamped by pure performance and the professional manner in which Yellow Brick, buoyed by his superior talent, went about his business in getting a well deserved Guineas win on his resume.
Yellow Brick was first-up here after being away from race action since his arguably unlucky, narrow second place finish in the $2 million Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas back in January. Amongst other things, the Gold Coast Guineas result highlighted just how well the Sears Training Partnership know their horse, because Yellow Brick was winning for the third time in four first-up runs ... a statistic which now includes wins in the $750 000 King Of The Mountain and the $200 000 Gold Coast Guineas.
It is no mean feat to have a horse primed first-up and ready to strike for a feature race assignment against strong company. Read more ...
A HUGE DAY OUT FOR TEAM SEARS AS YELLOW BRICK LIVES UP TO THE HYPE IN THE GOLD COAST GUINEAS (MAY 7)
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To have a two-year-old moving in the right direction is always a boon for a racing stable and the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership seems to have found one that falls into that category in the form of the Spirit Of Boom filly, Avone.
Avone had hinted at having some ability when winning a trial shortly before entering race action where she has now had two starts for a sparking runner-up finish on debut on April 19 and a win when backing up nine days later on April 28.
Both of those runs were over 1110m in QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Plates and both were at Ipswich with the added QTIS prize-money meaning Avone has already banked a useful $44 250 in stakes after only two starts.
As previously stated ... she is certainly going in the right direction! Read more ...
PROMISING TWO-YEAR-OLD WINS AT HER SECOND START (APRIL 28)
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Shotgun Sam doubled his tally of winners in his first start for Tony and Maddysen Sears scoring by a 0-55 Handicap over 1100m at Dalby on April 22.
The very lightly raced Tycoon Ruler gelding has only had nine starts but he is already in his third stable having raced twice for Mark Currie and six times for Donald Baker, where he landed his first career win.
Micheal Hellyer chased Shotgun Sam out of the gates in a start where a number of runners were keen to go forward, eventually settling the grey in a positive position, sitting third along the inside just a couple of lengths off the leaders in the early part. Read more ...
SHOTGUN SAM BLASTS A WINNING TRAIL AT DALBY (APRIL 22)
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Those who followed the 3-2-1 countdown would have gone away smiling after Tokyo Blossom landed a BM58 contest over 2000m at Warwick on April 18.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained filly had finished third in her second last start and second in her last start prior coming into this assignment at Warwick and that positive build-up was enough to see her start as the $2.80 favourite here.
Nozi Tomizawa wasted no time in slotting Tokyo Blossom into a perfect position in the early part, sitting fourth on the rail, just 3.50 lengths off the lead.
Tokyo Blossom closed that gap up quickly in the approach to the home turn to slip up into third place, before switching out across the heels of the two runners ahead of him to corner right alongside them, three wide, but clearly going the best of that trio. Read more ...
TOKYO BLOSSOM AND THAT SWEET SCENT OF VICTORY (APRIL 18)
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Any time you can saddle a stable quinella is a good result and the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership did just that when Miss McKinley and Maya Bay finished first and second respectively in a BM70 Handicap over 1300m at Toowoomba on April 1.
In a five-horse field Miss McKinley ($4.40) and Maya Bay ($4.80) were not amongst the top two fancies with Overseas ($2.70) and Eelloh ($2.90) battling for supremacy at the top of the betting boards.
In a tightly bunched field, Eelloh set the early gallop with Miss McKinley and Maya Bay in close attendance as only a little over three lengths covered the entire field down the back stretch.
With the exception of the $51 outsider Simon Says, who started to come under pressure on the sweep to the home turn, there was no real change to the order with everybody just lining up their challenges, waiting until the field straightened to stake their claim.
Then those challenges came with a rush. Read more ...
MISS MCKINLEY PREVAILS IN A TIGHT FINISH (APRIL 1)
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Poetic Drama ($4.60) made it two wins out of three starts since transferring to the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable when thumping the opposition in a National Apprentice Series Class 1 Plate over 1600m at Eagle Farm on March 28.
Melea Castle was in the saddle this time and she guided the fortunes of the chestnut mare in superb fashion, in sometimes testing circumstances, as she brought the daughter of Proisir home, upstaging the $2.50 favourite Security Advisor by a clearcut 2.20 length margin.
Poetic Drama didn’t have an easy passage in the early part. While she did jump well in a fairly hectic start ... she briefly held down second spot ... she was quickly shuffled back to fifth spot where she was trapped in-between runners and hard on the heels of Private Banker ($10).
Castle did a good job, showing patience as the field started to take the sweep to the home turn with Poetic Drama travelling well enough, but still some four lengths off the lead.
Once Castle had the opportunity to take the traffic problems out of the equation, she did that by angling Poetic Drama out wider on the track at the 600m mark, at the same time pressing the button for Poetic Drama to go forward.
Poetic Drama did seem to be full of running at that stage, but she just needed to a moment to balance up again after straightening four wide, and then the run home was on in earnest Read more ...
CASTLE AND POETIC DRAMA TOO STRONG AT EAGLE FARM (MARCH 28)
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The Red Wave rolls on with the four-year-old gelding scoring his fifth career win when taking out a Class 6 Handicap over 1600m at Doomben on March 18.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained son of Red Dazzler came into the race second-up after satisfactory enough first-up effort over the lesser 1400m trip.
That, and the fact that Red Wave had won the last two starts (over 2218m and 2200m) in his previous preparation suggested a bolder showing would be in play with the step up in distance as well as the fitness gained from his first-up run ... and that certainly was the case with Red Wave making no mistake, as a $4.20 favourite, taking the honours in a very comfortable fashion which saw him finish with a two length cushion at the line.
Red Wave, under Ben Thompson, was steadily away and was able to settle in midfield early, with the minimum of fuss, giving the leader six to seven lengths start as the field went down the first part of the back stretch.
When the two $10 chances, Applications and Magic Conqueror, did try to break-away from the field as they increased the temp further down the back straight, Thompson was vigilant to that fact, and he duly increased his own tempo on Red Wave, to the point that Red Wave was only between four and five lengths off the speed when the temp slowed up front again ... as it had to.
All the while, Thompson had Red Wave making up ground, and saving ground, with a beauty of a rails run. Read more
RED WAVE ROLLS ON (MARCH 18)
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It is always a special treat when one of your stable runners gives you a nice birthday present, and that is exactly what And Over Again did for Leigh Sears at Warwick on March 14 when taking out a Ratings 0-58 Handicap over 1100m.
Although this was And Over Again’s twenty-ninth career start, it was only the third outing for team Sears since transferring from the Grant Arnold yard.
The son of Tycoon Ruler kicked off the Sears trained phase of his carer with a fourth place finish over 1200m at Toowoomba and then followed that up with a second place finish at the Gold Coast over 1100m.
A four month break from race action saw And Over Again arrive at Warwick fresh and ready for his first-up assignment for which he as quoted as third favourite at $5.50 on the betting boards.
With Jake Molloy in the saddle, And Over Again settled in midfield early. That put him in seventh and then eighth place behind a pack of runners involved in a fairly hectic chase towards the front of the action.
That waiting game would pay good dividends. Read more ...
AND OVER AGAIN'S WIN ADDS ANOTHER LAYER TO A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION (MARCH 14)
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It’s been a while (since November 2020 in fact), but the five-year-old mare Little Miss Pixie finally found her winning touch once again when landing a BM62 Handicap over 1210m at Toowoomba on March 11.
Interestingly enough, her previous win had come the last time she raced over this track and distance.
Georgina Cartwright has been doing a good job for the Sears camp and she was entrusted to take the reins on Little Miss Pixie on this occasion, and she had a job to do with Little Miss Pixie jumping from the worst of the draw (barrier ten out of ten).
The option Cartwright took was to take Little Miss Pixie back from the wide gate and tuck in behind the field, a strategy which saw her settle in last place, eight lengths off the leader in the first half of the race.
Little Miss Pixie was still last but saving ground on the turn, a factor which quickly saw her move up into fifth place when she moved out two wide on straightening, now with only a little over two lengths to make up. Read more ...
LITTLE MISS PIXIE'S LAST TO FIRST VICTORY (MARCH 11)
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Yet another win for the Ben Thompson and Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership combination arrived at Eagle Farm on March 4 when Red Top, easy to back at $9, showed great commitment in a punishing two-horse battle to get up to claim an 1800m QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap contest by the narrowest of margins.
In truth, it had been a while between drinks for Red Top with his previous success coming in July 2022, but in his seven starts since then before going into this contest, Red Top had only finished more than three lengths back on two occasions, which at least suggested a consistency of form which the three-year-old could build on.
Up until this race, Red Top had never raced beyond 1600m and the change in strategy ... extending the trip to 1800m ... immediately paid dividends.
Not that it wasn’t a reasonably tough watch early as Thompson allowed Red Top to steadily drift back through the field, to the degree that the son of Top Echelon raced in last place of the ten runners, all of ten lengths off the leader as the field went down the back straight.
But there was method in Thompson’s ‘madness’. Read more ...
INCH PERFECT RIDE GETS RED TOP HOME (MARCH 4)
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The chestnut gelding Lasting Promise remained very much a work in progress during his relatively brief stay in the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable.
The son of Choisir raced twice as a two-year-old for trainer Joe Pride... both over 1200m ... before moving to the Sears camp, where he would ultimately only have another two starts as a three-year-old before moving on to owner/trainer John Bourke.
Sears had first trialled Lasting Promise back at the start of August 2022. He then made his debut for the stable on September 10, 2022 in which he finished fifth over 1050m before being spelled, returning with a trial in early February 2023.
Then it was back to race action again, more than five months since his first run for the stable, and the patience and the work that the Sears team had put into the horse was duly rewarded when Lasting Promise produced a winning performance when taking out a Maiden Handicap over 1300m at Toowoomba on February 25 in very comfortable fashion.
With the stable stepping up the distance test to 1300m for the first time, Lasting Promise (the $2.30 favourite) seemed to take to his task with relish. Read more ...
LASTING PROMISE GETS A WIN ON THE SCOREBOARD (FEBRUARY 25)
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It is a well-worn script, but one that works extremely well for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership.
Welcoming a horse from a southern state into the stable and having it win first time out (or, at least in its first couple of runs) under the Sears Racing banner is a theme that has been repeated time and time again ... so it was no surprise when the chestnut mare Poetic Drama saluted in her first run for her new stable when taking out a Maiden Plate over 1400m at Eagle Farm on February 22.
The four-year-old had raced previously on sixteen occasions for Team Hawkes with the win escaping her during that time, although she did claim second spot on no less than six occasions.
One of those runner-up finishes came in Poetic Drama’s last run for the Hawkes stable (at Kembla Grange over 1400m) just two weeks prior to Poetic Drama’s debut for her new stable, and punters thought she was ready to improve on that result and supported her claims enough to see her start as the $2.70 favourite.
And they never had a moment of concern in the race itself. Read more ...
TOO EASY FOR POETIC DRAMA (FEBRUARY 22)
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The two-year-old colt Adelad put his name on the scoreboard with a win in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap over 1200m at Ipswich on February 16 in only his third career start.
The son of Adelaide was third favourite at $3.80 in a race the betting suggested would be a very open and competitive contest with three of the seven runners starting at odds of less than $4. (Delarenta, who had finished third at Doomben on debut, was the $2.60 favourite with Storm Force Ten, who was having his first run here, on the next line of betting at $3.60).
For his part, Adelad had already showed to good advantage back when he contested the first two-year-old race of the season in Queensland, the Pat O’Shea Plate over 1000m, on his home track at Toowoomba where he finished a close-up second to Bedaub. Read more
ADELAD TOUGHS IT OUT TO LAND HIS FIRST CAREER WIN (FEBRUARY 16)
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Two-Year-old racehorses not only take time to mature, but they do so at their on individual pace ... meaning a trainer’s judgement, as it applies to the management of any two-year-old in his or her care, will play a huge part in the natural development and therefore the race performance progress of their two-year-old runners.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Top Fun is a case in point.
After winning a barrier trail, the Sears team handed a debut run to Top Fun in the Pat O’Shea Plate on September 24, but when the $4.60 race favourite didn’t perform to market expectations, Tony and Maddysen Sears pulled back on any immediate plans for Top Fun and gave him a full four-and-a-half months away from race action.
His return for his second race start, came at Ipswich in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate over the 800m dash on February 2, and the reward for the patience shown by the Sears camp was immediate. Read more ...
TOP FUN JUSTFIES HIS SHORT ODDS, BUT THE WINNING MARGIN WAS A LOT CLOSER THAN EXPECTED (FEBRUARY 2)
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Raging Pole, now a veteran of forty-eight races, claimed the seventh win of his career when he saluted in a BM68 Handicap over 2000m at the inaugural meeting held on the Gold Coast Poly Track on January 28.
The six-year-old Better Than Ready gelding had posted a warning in his previous start in which he finished second in the same class over 1690m at Ipswich two weeks earlier.
Jake Molloy did the honours in the saddle with his claim bringing the weight Raging Pole had to carry down from 59kg to 57.5kg ... a jockey selection call which clearly helped Raging Pole’s interests, particularly the way the race unfolded.
It was no ‘gimme’ for the $2.80 favourite with Molloy having to work to some degree on Raging Pole for much of the way.
After searching to try and find a reasonable position early, Molloy settled Raging Pole in fourth spot before slipping back to fifth, some three lengths off the lead as the $26 chance Spurious took the field down the back straight. Read more ...
RAGING POLE SCORES A HARD-EARNED VICTORY AS RACING KiCKS OFF ON THE GOLD COAST POLY TRACK (JANUARY 28)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained He’s A Devil scored a well-deserved win when he landed the Australia Day Cup BM 60 Handicap over 1200m at Kilcoy on January 26.
in the last three months of 2022, the four-year-old son of Tycoon Ruler had raced five times ... from Tara to Toowoomba to Warwick to Kilcoy to Chinchilla ... for an ultra-consistent return of a win (at Warwick), three runner-up finishes and a third place ... so, it could be argued that another success was due.
Jumping as a $3 joint-favourite with All Stars in an open race ... Enterprise Maximus and Harryandthetiger were also very much in the market at $3,20 and $3.60 respectively ... He’s A Devil, under apprentice Sariah Champkin, had control of the race over the closing stages as he got to the line with 1.30 lengths to spare over Harryandthetiger. Read more ...
CHAMPKIN SCORES ON HE'S A DEVIL FOR TEAM SEARS (JANUARY 26)
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The three-year-old filly Kihi had continued to show progressive improvement since resuming for her second preparation and she found her reward in her third start back when taking out a QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1100m at Dalby on January 20.
The daughter of Deep Field only had one run in her first prep in which she finished unplaced.
She was the then put out for five months and returned in with a similar ordinary performance over 1050m at Toowoomba on June 18 ... but, her second-up run brought marked improvement as she ramped up her performance to claim a runner-up finish, coming home just a length behind the winner in a Maiden Plate over 1000m at Toowoomba on December 22 at a starting price of $11. Read more ...
KIHI ON AN IMPROVEMENT PATH (JANUARY 20)
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Yellow Brick might have been an unlucky loser in many people’s eyes following the running of the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast on January 19.
Some would say, ‘a tragedy beaten.’ Others would counter with a simple, ‘that’s racing’ ... and that would normally be that.
But, even though Yellow Brick finished second, the connections of the well performed son of The Mission still had one task to complete before they could move on, namely they had to attend a post-race presentation to receive the lion’s share of the Woman’s Racing Bonus, a ten-year-old Magic Millions initiative which pays out bonus prize-money to the connections of the first four eligible ... that is all female owned (or leased) horses ... in finishing order for both the $2 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic and the $2m Magic Millions three-year-old Guineas.
That’s right ... wherever they finish. For example, the 2022 Woman’s Racing Bonus winner for the Guineas, Glorious Ruby, finished as far back as eighth ... but that’s another story.
The bonus for the Three-Year-Old Guineas is half the amount on offer for the Two-Year-Old Classic ... but that still is a whopping $250 000 in total with the breakdown being (as set out by Magic Millions):
1st – $162,500 plus trophy of $1,500, 2nd – $50,000, 3rd -$25,000, 4th -$12,500; subject to Trainer and Jockey deductions. If less than four (4) eligible horses compete in the MM 3YO Guineas, any unused Bonus prizemoney will be distributed evenly between the Bonus eligible horses that finish the race.
Yellow Brick’s storming second place thus not only earned his connections the $360 000 from the race prize-money distribution, but the added bonus of $162 500 took his Guineas run earnings to $522 500. Read more ...
YELLOW BRICK TAKES THE LION'S SHARE OF THE MAGIC MILLIONS 3YO GUINEAS WOMAN'S RACING BONUS (JANUARY 19)
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You only get one chance with any individual horse to win any two or three-year-old feature race ... and they seldom come as lucrative as the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas.
So, as a stable, when you send out the $2.70 favourite, as the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership did with Yellow Brick in the rescheduled/delayed 2023 $2 Million Magic Millions Guineas over 1425m at the Gold Coast on January 19, the random mix of emotions ... ranging from confidence to anxiety, from expectation to outright stress and seemingly a host of other feelings, some known, some unidentifiable ... all fuelled by a healthy flow of adrenaline that sets the body tingling with excitement ... you know this will be no ordinary race-day.
The confidence in the ‘King Of The Mountain’ hero Yellow Brick not only came from the stable, but the bookmakers arguably set the standard in that regard, making Yellow Brick up at $2.70 while the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Russian Conquest ($4.70) the only other runner quoted at less than $11.
Ben Thompson got Yellow Brick away reasonably enough at the break but, by the time the field had covered 200m the speed, both to his inside and outside, had shuffled Yellow Brick, who was not mustering his expected speed, back to eighth place, six lengths off the leader, racing just inside the $21 Fashion Legend who was caught four wide after jumping from an wide outside barrier draw. Read more ...
YELLOW BRICK - BEATEN BUT UNBOWED IN THE $2 MILLION MAGIC MILLIONS GUINEAS (JANUARY 19)
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The postponement of the last eight races at the Magic Millions meeting at the Gold Coast on Saturday was the fairest outcome for the majority of runners engaged in the last eight races, which will now take place on Thursday.
Saturday’s meeting officially came to an end with the steward’s announcing, as per the official steward’s report, that, ‘Following the running of race 2, a delegation of riders again expressed concerns with the consistency of the racing surface resulting in their mounts losing traction at various stages of the event.
‘In accordance with QRIC and Racing Queensland abandonment policy, a rider ballot was conducted which resulted in the riding group withdrawing their services. The decision in consultation with stewards, Racing Queensland and the Gold Coast Turf Club the meeting could not continue due to safety concerns with the deteriorating track surface and the remainder of the meeting was postponed at 1:15pm.’
Nobody can justifiably dispute that decision. Even if racing had continued and dodged any safety related incidents (why would anybody take that chance in the circumstances), the races would have been an absolute lottery, hardly a reasonable or acceptable scenario when millions and millions of dollars are at stake. Read more ...
IT'S ALL 'GOOD TO GO' FOR THE RACE FAVOURITE, YELLOW BRICK, IN $2 MILLION MAGIC MILLIONS GUINEAS (JANUARY 17)
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The King Of The Mountain will be looking for a sea-change at the Gold Coast on Saturday ... but don’t expect any change in his desire to hang onto his crown.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Yellow Brick demolished the field in the $750 000 King Of The Mountain contest at Toowoomba on New Year’s eve, in the process taking out the state’s richest provincial race.
Now even more riches and rewards beckon as Yellow Brick gets ready to step out in the $2 million Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas, a race in which he currently holds favouritism.
A winner of five of his six starts, the son of The Mission clearly faces his biggest test yet, a fact acknowledged by co-trainer Tony Sears, who nevertheless remains confident of a positive outcome. Read more ...
GOLD COAST HOLDS NO FEARS FOR THE SEARS CAMP (JANUARY 13)
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The Tony And Maddysen Sears Training partnership wasted little time in getting their names onto the scoreboard in 2023 with their first runner for the new year, Jacked Up, saluting at Gatton over 860m on January 5.
The lightly raced son of Better Than Ready was first-up (in only his fourth career start) after a five-and-a-half month break from race action and, perhaps significantly, he returned to the track and distance he had tackled when landing his Maiden win back on June 22.
Although Jacked Up did not flatter with an unplaced run ... in town, it should be noted ... in his follow-up run after his maiden win, there was still enough respect for the Sears trained runner here to see him start as the second favourite at $3.50.
Jockey Jake Molloy, was another common factor going back to the Maiden win, having piloted Jacked Up to victory on that occasion, interestingly enough, on the only other occasion he had ridden the horse. Read more ...
JACKED UP GETS THE SEARS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP OFF TO A HAPPY START FOR THE NEW YEAR (JANUARY 5)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Yellow Brick rubber-stamped his credentials and earned a place in racing history when he landed the inaugural running of the $750 000 King Of The Mountain at Toowoomba on New year’s Eve in a most impressive fashion befitting a horse who came into the contest with a race record of four wins from five starts.
With nine of the eleven eventual runners being sent out by local stables (Kisukano was a late scratching at the barriers), the odds were stacked in favour of a local victory, but few expected any runner to dominate in the way Yellow Brick did in what had been touted as a very competitive race.
The way the race unfolded could have come right out of the Sears stable playbook.
Act 1: With two runners in the race jumping from opposite sides of the gates (Steady Ready from gate 1 and Yellow Brick from gate 9) the Sears runners wasted no time in taking the race to the opposition with Angela Jones using both Steady Ready’s natural gate speed and the advantage of the number one barrier draw to spear into the lead ... while Ben Thompson brought Yellow Brick across from his wide draw with the minimum of fuss to set up shop in second place, just a length behind his stable companion. Read more ...
A YELLOW BRICK LINED WITH GOLD (DECEMBER 31)
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She hadn’t quite got her voice back after all of the excitement of Saturday evening, but Maddysen Sears was more than happy to provide the behind-the-scenes story of the win of Yellow Brick, the horse she co-trains with her father Tony, in the $750 000 King Of The Mountain at Toowoomba on New year’s Eve.
“We got him for $20 000,” confirmed Maddysen Sears. “We weren’t even at the sales when Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman rang and said, ‘there is a horse here ... you guys need to buy it.’
Paul said he didn’t know what price it was going to make ... but he originally thought it might go for as much as $100 000 ... but he had a chip in his back fetlock and we thought ... ok, well, it is only a $2 000 surgery ... we’ll see what we can get him for.
“We were blown away when we got him for $20 000.” Read more ...
HOW A $20 000 PURCHASE WENT ON TO BECOME KING OF THE MOUNTAIN (DECEMBER 31)
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Few would know Yellow Brick, the King Of The Mountain winner, better than Jockey Ben Thompson who has ridden the son of The Mission in four of his six career starts to date for three wins.
Speaking on the Sunday, the day after Yellow Brick’s New Year’s Eve success, Thompson was full of praise for both the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained runner and the Sears Training Partnership as he put the three-year’s career in perspective.
“Obviously, he has only been racing a small amount of time and has had six starts. All he can do is beat the opposition he is racing against and in five of those times he has,” said Thompson.
“He is just a smart horse. He makes his own luck ... and, albeit, when he won the three consecutive runs in his last preparation, his lead was never really contested, if you go back through the form he has beaten Soothsayer twice, Boom Court, Count De Beans ... all these nice horses which have gone on to win.
“Soothsayer after finishing behind Yellow Brick twice won three in a row, including Saturday grade races, and has emerged as a serious Magic Millions’ Guineas horse ... so Yellow Brick ticks a lot of boxes and just his whole demeanour ... he is a very good sort, very good to look at. he just gives you a great feel and he has a good set of lungs ... so I thought he ticked all of the boxes to run well going into the King Of The Mountain. Read more ...
BEN THOMPSON AND THAT KING OF THE MOUNTAIN WIN (DECEMBER 31)
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While the stable’s win in the $750 000 King Of The Mountain later in the evening rightfully garnered the bulk of the attention at the Toowoomba meeting on December 31, the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Goldeeluck was doing his part to keep the stable scoreboard moving with a win of his own ... landing his first career win in a QTIS Three-Year- Old Maiden Plate over 1200m in only his second career start.
The son of Winning Rupert had finished second on his debut when chasing over the 900m dash at the Gold Coast three weeks earlier and he brought the benefit of that run and a handy step up in distance to the 1200m trip into play here to score a hard-fought victory by a 0.20 length margin. Read more ...
GOLDEELUCK PUTS HIS NAME ON THE SCOREBOARD (DECEMBER 31)
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The King Of The Mountain, $750 000 race which will have its inaugural running at Toowoomba on December 31, has a huge local interest with no less than nine of the twelve big race runners being supplied by Toowoomba based stables, all of whom will be looking to keep the major share of the prize-money at home.
The final field for the race is made up by the runners selected by twelve slot-holders ... as per The Everest example ... and the Toowoomba runners have been the main flavour of the process with trainers Mark Currie (Je Sius Belle and Chatty Lady), Joshua King (Niccanova and Argyle Lane) , Michael Nolan (Kisukano and Northern Express) and Tony Sears (Steady Ready and Yellow Brick) all having two starters in the race ... while another local set-up, the Rex Lipp and Nick Hahn training partnership also has a runner (Simply Fly) in the race.
Going some way towards helping one of the locals cement the result that Toowoomba is looking for is the fact that the three horses not trained by Toowoomba trainers ... the Tony Gollan trained Mass Destruction, The Shaun Dwyer trained Last Chance and the Toby and Trent trained Alpine Edge ... have all received something akin to a ‘visitor’s draw’ ... barriers 17, 16 and 13 respectively. The current barriers draw includes barrier positions for the five emergency acceptances.
THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN - AN OVERVIEW (DECEMBER 28)
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The inaugural running of Toowoomba’s new feature race, The King Of The Mountain, will provided a big bonanza New Year’s Eve celebration for those connections who ultimately take away the lion’s share of the $750 000 race purse when the race is contested on December 31.
While all will be partaking of some Christmas cheer before then, no doubt there will be a sense of anticipation in the back of all of their minds as the countdown for big race is about to enter its final week.
With the twelve slot holders now having finalised their choice of runners, the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership has emerged as one of four stables ... along with Mark Currie, Joshua King and Michael Nolan ... to have two horses involved in the King Of The Mountain contest and, in his usual understated manner, Tony Sears is quietly confident that he has a competitive representation in race. Read more ...
THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN CROWN IS UP FOR GRABS (DECEMBER 24)
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Eleuthera has been a more than useful mare over a fair period of time for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership and the daughter of Red Dazzler landed her fifth career win when she claimed victory in a BM65 Handicap over 1535m at Ipswich on December 22.
Eleuthera was second-up here and was unwanted in the betting, starting at $14 after drifting out from $9.50, following her ordinary showing when resuming on December 10 after a five month break from racing action.
That first-up run was over 1300m and the step up to 1535m was always going to be a move in the right direction (Eleuthera has won up to 1800m). That, and the fact that she would have taken obvious benefit out of that first-up run meant that Eleuthera was well placed by the Sears team at this stage of her latest preparation in what was essentially an open race in which the favourite started at $4.40. Read more ...
ELEUTHERA WINS AT LONG ODDS (DECEMBER 22)
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Talk about knocking at the door ... well, that’s exactly what the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Singapore Lady was doing in her first two career starts in which she claimed runner-up finishes in both starts.
No surprise then that the door opened and she was able to claim her first career victory in only her third start when she proved to be too good for the opposition in a Maiden Plate over 1100m at the Gold Coast on December 17.
Singapore Lady’s two second places leading into the Gold Coast contest had both come over the 800m dash. This time the Sears camp stepped the distance test up to 1100m and that, as well as the growing level of fitness and race experience gained in those two earlier starts, helped her to go one better. Read more ...
SINGAPORE LADY STEPS UP TO THE PLATE (DECEMBER 17)
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As always with the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership, horses go where the stable thinks they have their best chance of winning ... and, just twenty minutes after the Sears trained Singapore Lady had saluted at the Gold Coast, Straight Alphas made it a stable double for the day when she won by an emphatic two length margin in a QTIS Maiden Plate over 1200m at Esk on December 17.
Just like Singapore Lady, Straight Alphas came into her race on the back of two second place finishes (at Warwick over 800m and at Toowoomba over 1000m) and, again, she similarly stepped up in distance to 1200m.
Just how Straight Alphas, a Spirit Of Boom filly going to a non-Tab meeting, started as the rank outsider in the field at a starting price of $16, will remain the only real mystery of the race.
As for the running of the race itself, it was just easy pickings for Straight Alphas. Read more ...
PLACING THEM WHERE THEY CAN WIN - AND WHEN YOU GET JUICY ODDS THAT IS JUST A BONUS (DECEMBER 17)
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Not that it makes any real difference ... you take your winners whenever you can get then ... but it is always nice to kick off a new month with a winner and that is exactly what the Tony and Maddysen Sears Training partnership did when Single Dizire saluted in a BM65 Handicap over 1000m at Toowoomba on December 3.
The Not A Single Doubt mare had not raced for seven months (since May 7) and so was pretty easy to back at a starting price of $7.50 ... drifting from an mid betting call of $4.80 as bookmakers kept the Sears trained runner safe in the early market.
Stephanie Lacy made great use of the number one barrier draw when chasing Single Dizire into an immediate lead and she then produced a clever ride, doing enough to keep Single Dizire in front while, at the same time, ensuring that the gallop was a measured one and that Single Dizire would have more to offer when it mattered most. Read more ...
SINGLE DIZIRE MAKES A WINNING RETURN (DECEMBER 3)
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No matter which way you look at it, Steady Ready’s runaway win at the Gold Coast on November 26, in a BM75 Handicap over the 900m dash, ticked all of the boxes.
The highly rated colt was sent out in fine racing trim by the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership for his first-up run from close to a three-month layoff from race competition.
His reappearance was always going to be one of the focal points of the meeting as the son of Better Than Ready has attracted special interest since March 8 when he trashed his rivals to the tune of 13.30 lengths in a trial at Toowoomba.
A debut win in town (at Doomben on March 22) when again romping in by 5.75 lengths only enhanced an already burgeoning reputation, but then Steady Ready had to settle for two successive second placings ... behind two smarts ones in Exo Lady (who, at the time, had won four out of five starts) in the Listed Dalrello Stakes and behind Flaming Conquest (who, at the time, had won three of her four starts).
There was nothing wrong with either of those two efforts, but after Steady Ready pulled up big after his exertions on the soft track in the second of those runner-up finishes, the Sears camp elected to turn Steady Ready out and give him some time off.
Then it was on to the Gold Coast. Read more ...
STEADY READY TICKS ALL OF THE BOXES (NOVEMBER 26)
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You wouldn't blame the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership if they were already counting down to the inaugural running of the King Of The Mountain feature race which will be held at their home track at Toowoomba on December 31.
With $750 000 on offer, the King Of The Mountain will be the richest provincial race in Queensland’s history … and it will play its part in what will be a very much core Queensland News Year’s Eve celebration at Toowoomba with all of the big race runners having to be QTIS horses (ie Queensland-bred) and they all have to be trained by Queensland trainers … as dictated in the conditions of the race.
Nominations from interstate trainers with satellite stables in Queensland will not be accepted.
The final line-up of the race will be determined by the twelve slot holders who have the privilege of nominating their own choice of runner … but the Sears camp already has two runners confirmed for the big race. Read more ...
ALL SET FOR A SHOT AT THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN (NOVEMBER 21)
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Toowoomba to Roma … that’s a 350km trip up the via the Warrego Highway/A2 (a 750km round trip) so of you travel a horse to Roma from Toowoomba, you would want to get something back for your trouble.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership achieved that desired result on November 19 when the six-year-old chestnut gelding Snowfire saluted in a Class 6 Handicap over 1200m at Roma, winning by 0.75 lengths at a starting price of $3.30.
It had been a little while between drinks for the son of Star Witness as Snowfire’s previous win had come six starts back on April 20, but after quick freshen up and being given an easier task than his last run at the Gold Coast in a Class 6 Handicap over 1300m on October 15, Snowfire regained his winning touch under Nozi Tomizawa to claim the seventh win of his career.
But, Snowfire did it the hard way. Read more ...
A TRIP TO ROMA REIGNITES SNOWFIRE (NOVEMBER 19)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained He’s A Devil gave the stable their fourth winner for the month of November when he saluted in a Maiden Plate over 1200m at Warwick on November 11.
While it did take He’s a Devil some time to find his feet … he won at his tenth start … like many of the Sears trained runners the son of Tycoon Ruler had shown he was warming to his task after securing two runner-up finishes in his two races leading into the Warwick contest.
Jake Molloy had a job to do early on He’s a Devil (the $2.10 favourite) … namely having to decide what his best option was and then to implement his choice of action from the wide draw. Read more ...
HE'S A DEVIL STRIKES AT THE TENTH TIME OF ASKING (NOVEMBER 11)
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A week after Yellow Brick had done the stable proud at Eagle Farm, the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership were at it again on the Metropolitan scene with another stable favourite Red Wave ($4.40) getting the job done when outgunning the $5 chance Hillcrest Avenue to take out a BM75 Handicap over 2200m at Doomben on November 5 to claim a second successive win.
That’s four starts in a row now in which Red Wave has finished in the first three places.
Ben Thompson, who has been a contributing factor in the Sears’s latest run of results, settled Red Wave in fourth …then third spot, three lengths off the lead as the field left the home straight for the first time.
Red Wave was then just two lengths back going down the back stretch … perfectly positioned and racing at a comfortable gallop.
There was no movement from Thompson until the field approached the home turn, at which stage Thompson got busy, pushing Red Wave through on the inside to get into second place before switching around the heels of the leader, Applications, so that he could be ready to strike on straightening. Read more ...
RED WAVE WASHES HIS OPPOSITION AWAY (NOVEMBER 5)
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While Yellow Brick and Red Wave shone the light for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership with metropolitan wins on successive Saturdays on October 29 and November 5, not all horses can compete at that level with some are in various stages of their career.
The trainer’s job is to place their horses of varying ability wherever they have their best chance of finding success … and, on the basis, the Sears camp had no hesitation in sending the well named grey filly White Chocolate to a non-tab meeting at Chinchilla and letting Sequesay compete at the Provincial meeting at their home track at Toowoomba … both on the same day that Red Wave saluted in town (November 5).
Good placement breeds good results … and that’s how the Sears team came away with three winners, across three different grades at three different racetracks on the day. Read more ...
A SAME DAY, THREE VENUE TREBLE FOR SEARS RACING (NOVEMBER 5)
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If there was any question about the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership having a new stable star on their hands, those doubts were laid to rest in no uncertain fashion when Yellow Brick made it four wins from only five starts when taking out a QTIS Three-year-Old Handicap over 1600m at Eagle Farm on October 29.
This win was Yellow Brick’s second successive Metropolitan win and it also completed a hat trick of wins for the quality son of The Mission.
Underlying his potential is that fact that Yellow Brick’s four wins have seen him claim success over a progressive range of race distances … from 1100m to 1200m to 1400m to 1600m … taking every new challenge in his stride as well as showing he can handle any going having won on both good and heavy racing surfaces.
Another plus was that Yellow Brick’s winning margin of 2.25 lengths in his latest win was his biggest margin of victory yet … suggesting that he is getting better and better.
Basically, Yellow Brick started a $2.70 favourite and won like any good favourite should. Read more ...
YELLOW BRICK'S ROAD TO SUCCESS CONTINUES (OCTOBER 29)
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To say that October 15 will stand out as a memorable day for the Tony And Maddysen Sears training partnership would be an understatement.
For a training team who loves landing a win anywhere in any class … it is always an absolute pleasure to watch Maddy Sears call home a winner … the first city double for the training partnership, achieved by Red Wave and Yellow Brick, in a super-charged forty minutes (it was a race-to-race double) will take some beating.
Throw in the win of another Sears trained runner Mah Precious at Stanthorpe, who actually kicked off the winning streak of the stable on the day, and it all translated into three stable wins in a little over an hour on the clock.
That’s about as good as it gets. Read more ...
FIRST SATURDAY CITY DOUBLE FOR THE TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (OCTOBER 15)
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The four-year-old chestnut gelding Freedom Avenue has found a rich vein of form in recent starts and his success at Gatton in a BM55 Handicap over 1400m gave him back-to-back wins after he had saluted over 1600m at a Sunshine Coast Poly Track meeting back on September 8.
Jake Mollow wasted no time in pushing Freedom Avenue ($6) forward from a wide draw and, when the dust had settled on the opening flourish, Molloy was then happy to position the son of Eurozone a couple of lengths off the speed until the home turn. Read more ...
FREEDOM AVENUE WINS AGAIN (SEPTEMBER 29)
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After the glitter and glamour of Weetwood Day, it was back to the nitty-gritty for the Sears stable and they were quick to put their next winner on the board in the form of the very promising Yellow Brick, who made it two wins from only three starts when taking out a BM65 Handicap over 1200m at the Sunshine Coast on September 28.
Yellow Brick had won on debut on a heavy 9 surface at Ipswich on May 22 before finishing third behind Plundering, also on a heavy surface at the Gold Coast on September 17.
At the Sunshine Coast Yellow Brick encountered a track rated as good for the first time and he showed he had the capacity to handle any surface … which is always a huge plus for the trainer to work with moving forward. Read more ...
YELLOW BRICK UNDERLINES HIS POTENTIAL (SEPTEMBER 28)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears stable loaded up and came out firing at their home track of Toowoomba’s signature race meeting … Weetwood Day … on September 24 … and, while they did not hit the bullseye, they peppered the target coming home with two second places, two third places and one fourth place.
Of those results, the third place finish of Red Wave in the $125 000 Toowoomba Cup probably took pride of place but there was also obviously plenty to like about Adelad’s runner-up finish in the Pat O’Shea Plate … the traditional first two-year-old race of the season in Queensland. Read more ...
RED WAVE AND ADELAD DO THE TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS STABLE PROUD ON WEETWOOD DAY (SEPTEMBER 24)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Even Now claimed her second career success when she took out a BM62 Handicap over 1100m at Kilcoy on September 16.
The three-year-old daughter of Better Than Ready was well-placed here by the Sears camp … as can be gauged by the results of her previous five starts.
From December 31, 2021 until March 19, 2022, Even Now raced four times returning a result sheet which showed a win, two runner-up finishes and one very notable third place finish.
That third place came in a race of no less a standing than the $500 000 Aquis QTIS Two-year-Old Jewel where Even Now finished only 1.50 lengths behind the winner, the then unbeaten and much hyped Shesgottheboom.
Even Now was then given a spell after that fine effort in The Jewel on March 19, and she returned for her first-up assignment five months later on August 27, going straight to a Saturday Metro meeting to tackle a Listed $125 000 Three-Year-Old Plate over 1200m. Read more ...
EVEN NOW SCORES A DESERVED WIN (SEPTEMBER 16)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Freedom Avenue had not raced on the Sunshine Coast Poly Track before he arrived to contest a Class 1 handicap over 1600m at the track on September 8.
The stable would have taken some encouragement from the son of Eurozone’s second place finish at Dalby in his previous start when they had stepped up the distance test from 1200m to 1400m, and they pushed that envelope again here, asking Freedom Avenue to tackle 1600m.
Jockey Jake Molloy’s 2kg claim was always going to be useful to the cause of the four-year-old chestnut, who went off at a starting price of $6, and barrier one also played its part as Molloy got Freedom Avenue away well and he was able to hold the rail position as he settled in second and then third position as the field went down the back straight, just two lengths off the leader.
Molloy was happy to take the sit when the two runners in front of him kept the speed on as the field began sweep to the home turn with the $3.40 favourite Grinzinger Knight making play up front. Read more ...
STEP UP IN TRIP DOES THE TRICK FOR FREEDOM AVENUE (SEPTEMBER 8)
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The very useful Goldeel claimed her fourth win from only nine starts when she landed a Class 3 Plate over 1630m at Doomben on September 3.
The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained four-year-old daughter of Dundeel came into the race second-up, off the back of an eye-catching runner-up finish when resuming after nearly five months away from race action at Ipswich on August 17.
That run was over 1350m (where she was unwanted in the betting at a starting price of $17) … and up to 1630m here with the benefit of the Ipswich outing under her belt and with the 3kg claim of Angela Jones, Goldeel was always going to be right in it here and was duly supported into favourite at $2.50.
Goldeel made every possible use of the number one barrier draw, chasing into an immediate and clearcut lead with the $16 chance Sheppy being the runner closest to her as the Sears trained runner took the field down the back stretch. Read more ...
GOLDEEL SHINES IN SECOND-UP WIN AT DOOMBEN (SEPTEMBER 3)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership had mixed fortunes at Doomben on Saturday with their boom three-year-old Steady Ready having to settle for second place on his return to action as a $1.40 favourite before their four-year-old mare Goldeel righted the ship and sent them home with an impressive winner.
“We thought she (Goldeel) would be hard to beat today with the claim,” said Tony Sears.
“She raced very well at Ipswich the other day (when finishing second over 1350m) and then was second up here over a mile. She is suited to wet ground … being a Dundeel, most of them handle the wet.
“Going forward, we’ll probably look for a 2000m race next start … or maybe an 1800m. She won’t be knocked around. We’ll just take her along quietly.
“What we did last season … we tried to get her into the Oaks. We gave her one run over 2000m and she didn’t stay. She is bred to go 2000m, but sometimes they don’t … but we’ll find out more about where she stands with that as we move forward with her.” Read more ...
SEARS REFLECTS ON A DAY ON MIXED FORTUNES (SEPTEMBER 3)
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Co-trainer Maddy Sears has confirmed that, all things being well, next Saturday (September 3) will see the return to race action of Steady Ready, one of Queensland’s most exciting young horses.
The now three-year-old colt was quick to capture the public’s imagination when he scored a runaway debut win in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap over 1050m at Doomben on March 26, passing the post an arrogant 5.75 lengths ahead of his nearest rival.
That, coming on the back of a 13.30 lengths trial win, got tongues wagging and, although Steady Ready did taste defeat in his second start, when stepping straight up into Listed company in the Dalrello Stakes, the fact that he was beaten (into second place) there by the much more experience and more than useful Exo Lady, who would go on the finish second in the Group 2 Champagne Classic next time out, meant that the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained runner went to the paddock with his already burgeoning reputation intact. Read more ...
STEADY READY, JUST WAITING IN THE WINGS, PREPARING TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE (AUGUST 26)
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Have you ever heard the phrase … ‘ran them off their feet’?
Well, go and watch the video of the Tony And Maddysen Sears trained Terrius winning at Gatton on August 19 to see a precise example of what that phrase is all about.
The Colts, Geldings and Entires BM58 Handicap contest over 1400m was Terrius’s first run for the Sears stable (having been transferred by trainer John Shelton) and they entrusted the ride to the 3kg claiming apprentice Sariah Champkin … and what a ride it would prove to be!
The Sears camp are certainly no strangers to engineering an early win from a horse new to their stable, but the manner in which this success was achieved had a very different ring to the normal.
Terrius, the $2.90 favourite, landed midfield at the break, but Champkin wasted no time in setting off for the lead. Matthew Powell on Fitzroy Boy ($7) had similar intentions though and he got to the lead first and he was reluctant to give up that place when Terrius came alongside to challenged for the prime position. Read more ...
CHAMPKIN LANDS A ROUSING FIRST PROVINCIAL WIN (AUGUST 19)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Dynamic Duo kicked off a memorable day for the stable when he took out in a No Metro Wins Handicap over 1000m at Eagle Farm on August 13.
By the time the day’s racing was over, the Sears training partnership would also have saddled two winners at their home track at Toowoomba … Jetski and Heza Pleaza … taking the day’s haul to a very satisfying three winners.
Dynamic Duo had only finished out of the money twice in the seven starts he had for the Sears stable prior to his Eagle Farm engagement (he had transferred to the Sears team from the Tony Noonan stable in September 2021).
Significantly, during that time had registered a second and a third place finish in his previous two starts over the Eagle Farm 1000m trip, so he had track and distance credentials coming in to this latest assignment. Read more ...
DYNAMIC DUO LANDS CITY WIN FOR TEAM SEARS (AUGUST 13)
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The six-year-old, Tony and Maddysen trained gelding Jetski might have gone into a BM70 Handicap over 1200m at Toowoomba on August 13 as a thirty-one race veteran, but he certainly hasn’t lost his taste for action, as evidenced by the way he tackled a pressurised finish with almost youthful enthusiasm.
The son of Lonhro started out his career with James Cummings and the Godolphin team for whom he won three times in fourteen starts.
He then won again first-time out after transferring to Team Sears … that was back on November 27, 2020, and, although he kept paying his way with a series of placed finishes since that win (two seconds, five thirds and four fourth place results to be exact) his fifth career win was proving to be very elusive … that is until he said ‘enough is enough’ and refused to be beaten in this, his latest Toowoomba assignment. Read more ...
SEARS' HOME TRACK DOUBLE (AUGUST 13)
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A new season ... and a QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1000m at Toowoomba on August 6 provided the stage for the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Milano Boom to land her first career win in her first start as a three-year-old and her fifth career start overall.
The bay filly was second-up here and clearly showed the benefit of that first up outing, in which she finished unplaced when having her first run back after a five month layoff from race action.
The number one barrier draw was always going to be an advantage if Karl Zechner could get Milano Boom (a joint $3 favourite) away on terms … and he did just that, railing up well before letting the hot speed in front of him go as Clearly George ($11) and Where’s Tekay Now, the co-$3 favourite, starting to cut at each other at the head of affairs. Read more ...
MILANO BOOM PUTS HER NAME ON THE SCOREBOARD (AUGUST 6)
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Third career start. First win.
That is the form summary the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Mikkeli came away with after the Toowoomba meeting on July 30 where the very lightly raced four-year-old mare had won a Maiden Handicap over 1650m.
Mikkeli had finished unplaced in her previous two starts which came six months apart, but the fact she was second-up here (fitter for that first-up run) and stepping up to a more preferred distance (from 1200m to 1625m) helped the daughter of Dundeel find her feet much better than before and, in end, at the easy odds of $13, she would prove to good for her nine rivals.
Drawn nine out of the ten runners, Mikkeli was held wide early before Angela Jones opted to take her back, a situation which left the Sears trained runner in lonely last place as the field went down the back stretch. Read more ...
JONES WRAPS UP HER TOOWOOMBA SEASON IN STYLE (JULY 30)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership ended off the 2021/22 racing season with a flourish winning two races at two different venues on July 30 and they did so by pulling two runners out if the hat who were winning for the first time.
First on the scoreboard on the day was Tokyo Blossom, a Maurice filly who was having only her second career start when she went out to contest a QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1200m at the Gold Coast.
Her first run had come seventeen days earlier when she was sent straight to town by the Sears team and finished unplaced behind the more than useful and more experienced Billionaire Baby at Doomben over 1200m. (Billionaire Baby would win again next time out to frank that form).
Jumping at a starting price of $5.50 with Lani Allen in the saddle, Tokyo Blossom was slightly hampered at the start, but Allen still ensured that the Sears’ trained runner was able to settle comfortably enough, racing in sixth place in the early part, a little over four lengths off the lead. Read more ...
TOKYO BLOSSOM WINS IN A THRILLER (JULY 30)
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A city Saturday winner is always a pleasure for any trainer and the four-year-old chestnut gelding Maya Bay gave the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership a win to savour when he landed a No Metro Wins Handicap over 1200m at Doomben on July 23.
The chestnut came into the race with a very good overall strike-rate of four wins from sixteen starts, but the fact that the gelding had not saluted in his four previous starts (his last win had come on December 23, 2021) did allow him start at the easy to back odds of $4.80 … which was still enough to make him favourite in what was deemed to be an open race.
Kyle Wilson-Taylor, the newly crowned Brisbane Apprentice Jockey Premiership winner, was handed the reins by Team Sears, and the young rider had Maya Bay well away enough at the break before settling in sixth place in the early part, caught a little wide, some four lengths off the lead. Read more ...
MAYA BAY LANDS HIS FIRST CITY VICTORY (JULY 23)
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Montana Lady put her two-year-old win on the board when she saluted in a QTIS Two-and Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1200m at Toowoomba on July 16.
The daughter of Red Dazzler was winning at the fifth attempt after having previously notched up two second placings … once on debut over 800m and then again in a run over 1000m in the start immediately prior to her win.
Montana Lady jumped as the equal favourite at a starting price of $3.40, along with Tomboy’s Spirit, and these two runners would indeed fill the first two placings, although the result was never anywhere near as close as the betting had predicted.
Strongly away from a wide barrier at the break, Angela Jones pushed the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained runner straight to the front. Skater ($6.50) then went up to try and pressure Montana Lady in the back straight and, more particularly, in the sweep to the home turn … while Tomboy’s Spirit sat just off that duo in third place, keeping a watching brief. Read more ...
MONTANA LADY GETS HER TWO-YEAR-OLD WIN (JULY 16)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Most Dazzling attracted good support to start favourite at $2.35 in a Three-Year-Old BM65 Handicap over 1350m at Ipswich on July 14.
The three-year-old son of Red Dazzler had finished a close-up third in town at Eagle Farm in his previous start … and punters recognised that as winning form in this line-up in which Most Dazzling faced five rivals.
That judgement proved to be well-founded.
Gun jockey Jimmy Orman landed Most Dazzling in the leading line in what was a keenly contested duel for early advantage between five of the six runners before Orman elected to take the sit, settling just two lengths of the early speed.
Most Dazzling was up to third, on the rail … right on the heels of the leaders as the field began the sweep to the final turn, still travelling well within himself. Read more ...
MOST DAZZLING BLINDSIDES THE OPPOSITION (JULY 14)
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It doesn’t matter how much you win by.
It doesn’t matter even if it looked like you had finished second.
All that matters is that it is your number which goes up as the winner in the frame and that was the scenario with the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Red Top who got up in a finish that was so close it had the connections of the second placed Heroic Son, the $2.90 favourite, momentarily celebrating their ‘victory.’
Red Top, a two-year-old son of Top Echelon, came into this QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap, 1350m contest with some promising form and he certainly was due for his turn in the winners’ enclosure … even if punters went against him to the point where he was allowed to start at odds of $11.
Red Top finished in second place in both of his first two outings … and he was less than half a length off the winner on both of those occasions, over 1210m at Toowoomba and then over 1100m at the Gold Coast.
RED TOP - A CITY WINNER AFTER ONLY FOUR STARTS (JULY 9)
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A two-year-old winner is always a plus for any stable.
It generally indicates the stable has something to work with and that certainly looks to be the case with the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Jacked Up after his win in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap over the 860m dash at Gatton on June 25.
Jacked Up had made his debut three weeks earlier at Toowoomba where he finished second to Naughty Words.
The son of Better Than Ready was fancied to win on that occasion (he started favourite at $2.10). Read more ...
JACKED UP JUSTIFIES HIS SHORT-PRICED ODDS (JUNE 25)
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Most Dazzling, a lightly raced three-year-old gelding, made a winning return to action, after a five week freshen up, when he comfortably took out a Class 1 Handicap over 1000m at Toowoomba on June 4.
Most Dazzling ($2.50) and Tuboart ($3.50) were the two market favourites, and their first battle was for the early lead, which was won by Tuboart when Karl Zechner was determined to lead on the Mark Currie trained runner and Angela Jones settled for taking a close-up trial on Most Dazzling.
These two runners held station … with the balance of the field stretched out behind them and, coming to the final approach to the home turn, Most Dazzling was two lengths adrift of Tuboart and these two runners already had the race to themselves, having pulled four lengths clear of the nearest runner in the chasing pack. Read more ...
MOST DAZZLING STREETS THEM (JUNE 4)
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Eighteen runners lined up in the Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on May 28. Amongst them was Red Wave representing the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership.
It was never going to be an easy ask for Red Wave, a fact well and truly underlined by his starting price of $101 … but just to be there was a thrill with Maddysen Sears saying pre-race that to finish in the top half of the field would be a terrific result.
Racing at the elite level in a $1 million race … whatever the outcome … it is a great experience in itself.
For the stable then, Red Wave coming back in eight place was a satisfying outcome. Read more ...
ENJOYING THE EXHILERATING EXPERIENCE OF RACING AT THE ELITE LEVEL (MAY 28)
Racing at its very best
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Beware of the young guns who have no fear and have nothing to lose.
Of course they are up against it when they tackle quality horses trained by top Group 1 winning trainers ridden by some of the best jockeys in the land, but the old adage of ‘if you have got a ticket, you have got a chance’ applies and that is exactly the mentality that co-trainer Maddy Sears and apprentice Kyle Wilson-Taylor will take into the Group 1 Queensland Derby with the runner Red Wave at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
For Maddy Sears, who co-trains Red Wave with her dad Tony Sears, it all translates into a very special occasion for a horse that has a very special place in her heart.
When Red Wave won his Maiden at Ipswich on July 30, 2021, it was an incredibly emotional moment for Sears and, as the tears flowed, she explained why that was.
“He (Red Wave) is a half-brother to a very special filly of mine, Exondabeach … that is why I was so emotional after the race … because I lost her, so for him to win like that was really overwhelming for me.” Read More ...
YOUNG GUNS GRADUATE TO THE BIG STAGE (MAY 26)
Getting ready for a big day out
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Another debut winner for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership!
And what a debut it was.
The two-year-old chestnut Redwana only had two rivals to beat when he faced the starter in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap over 1225m at Toowoomba on May 17 … and the betting boards projected that it was actually only a two-horse race between Redwana ($1.66) and Slinky’s Star ($2.30). Just Say was the $15 rank outsider.
The implication on the betting boards was incorrect.
It was a one-horse race! Read more ...
REDWANA SCORES A TWELVE LENGTH DEBUT WIN (MAY 17)
It doesn't come much easier than this!
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Eleuthera earned another reward for her consistency when she claimed her fourth career success in a BM70 Handicap over 1850m at Toowoomba on May 14.
Eleuthera was having her fifth run this preparation. Her previous four starts included a win at the Gold Coast on March 26 (on heavy going) and she came into her latest assignment off the back of a third place finish when less than a length behind Badoosh in a BM 68 Handicap over 1800m at the Sunshine Coast on April 24.
At Toowoomba, Eleuthera was again faced with a heavy track which held no fears for her.
Georgina Cartwright took Eleuthera back early and she raced some eight lengths off the leader … that was until the start of the sweep to the home turn where Cartwright made a determined forward move on Eleuthera, who chased up four wide, making ground with every stride. Read more ...
ELEUTHERA'S CONSISTENCY REWARDED AGAIN (MAY 14)
A fair reward
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To get a horse to win on debut is always a pleasure for a trainer and the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained two-year-old gelding Yellow Brick achieved that result when he took out a QTIS Two-Year-Old Colts and Geldings Maiden Plate over 1100m at Ipswich on May 7.
The son of The Mission had one official trial (all the way back on December 7, 2021) … which he won … and he came into the race as a strong second favourite at $2.60, close behind his market rival and favourite Invinovich, who topped the betting boards at $2.25.
Jag Guthmann-Chester jumped Yellow Brick in the leading line and then pushed him forward to take up the running with Invinovch settling in second place on the back of the Sears trained runner.
From there, the two main fancies pretty much had the race to themselves with Yellow Brick always holding the ascendency. Read more ...
YELLOW BRICK WINS ON DEBUT (MAY 7)
A very pleasing effort
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The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained two-year-old colt Steady Ready, who finished second in the Listed Dalrello Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday, will now be sent for a spell.
The very smart son of Better Than Ready was a beaten favourite at $2.20 in the Dalrello, but he lost no supporters with a very game run to finish within a quarter of a length of the very well performed and more experienced Exo Lady ($14), who got the jump on the field at the break and then produced a sustained run to the line to keep Steady Ready at bay.
“We were really very happy with the run,” said Maddy Sears. “I think he was just a little bit green today.” (It was only Steady Ready’s second start).
“He was a little bit slow away and couldn’t really muster like Exo Lady did. He’s never had a horse in front of him before. Also, when you watch the head-on, when Luke (Tarrant) pulled the stick on him (which has never happened before) he was running away from it.
“I think, if he had run straight, he would have gone close to winning … and that is not taking anything away from the winner who was very good and strong to the line.
“Steady Ready’s last 100m was very, very slick. As inexperienced as he is, he could have put the white flag up halfway up the straight and said this is too much pressure for me, but he kept coming. Read more ...
STEADY READY OFF FOR A SPELL (MAY 2)
Time for some well deserved down time in the paddock
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TONY SEARS: 'WE DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF OURSELVES' (APR 29)
Taking things as they come
SNOWFIRE THE LASTEST IN A LONG LINE OF 'NEW' HORSES SCORING AN EARLY WIN FOR THE SEARS STABLE (APR 20)
Snowfire strikes in his second start for the Sears yard
THANKS, BUT NO THANKS! STAR 2YO IS NOT FOR SALE (APR 10)
Steady Ready is staying put
CONGLOMERATE SCORES AGAIN (APR 9)
The great ride continues for some first time owners
BAANONE SALUTES AT A LONG PRICE IN A FIRST-UP WIN (APR 9)
A brilliant return to action
MISS MCKINLEY FIGHTS HER WAY TO A SECOND SUCCESSIVE WIN (APR 6)
Has the heart to match her ability
TRENGGANU BOUNCES BACK (APR 2)
A really positive first-up win
SEARS RACING – THE MARCH SCOREBOARD (MAR 28)
Another great return
ELEUTHERA GIVES THE SEARS STABLE A SATURDAY DOUBLE ACROSS TWO VENUES (MAR 26)
The mare puts win number three on the board
LUKE TARRANT - MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME (MAR 26)
A bright start fir a jockey on the come-back trail
STEADY READY LOOKS LIKE HE COULD BE THE REAL DEAL (MAR 26)
Exciting times
CONGLOMERATE WINS AND THE CELEBRATIONS GO OFF IN EXHILERATING FASHION (MAR 24)
This is what the racing dream is all about
MOST DAZZLING RETURNS A WINNER (MAR 24)
Most Dazzling strikes first-up in only his second career start
GOLDEEL COMES UP JUST A COUPLE OF LENGTHS SHORT IN HIS EFFORT TO MAKE IT FOUR WINS IN-A-ROW (MAR 16)
Valiant in defeat
RED WAVE BUMPS INTO A GOOD ONE BUT STILL CONTINUES TO REWARD HIS CONNECTIONS (MAR 12)
The honest runs just keep coming
SPIRIT ONE MAKES IT TWO-IN-A-ROW (MAR 12)
A well-deserved double
THE CHRONICLE GIVES MADDY SEARS A VERY SPECIAL MENTION ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY (MAR 8)
Congratulations all around
MISS MCKINLEY SCORES HER FOURTH WIN FROM NINE STARTS (MAR 5)
Miss McKinley improves her already impressive strike-rate
TOO EASY FOR EVEN NOW (MAR 2)
The stable is quickly off the mark in March
SEARS RACING - THE FEBRUARY SCOREBOARD (FEB 24)
A very pleasing win / place stable strike-rate in February
GOLDEEL – THE LIGHTLY RACED FILLY IS ALREADY GETTING HER FAIR SHARE OF ATTENTION (FEB 23)
Taking her career on an upward trajectory
A POLY TRACK DOUBLE FOR TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS (FEB 23)
Another double success on the day
SURGING TO VICTORY ON A WAVE OF EMOTION (FEB 19)
The scream of joy said it all
TWO-IN-A-ROW FOR DAZZLING FLASH (FEB 19)
The Flash strikes again
SPIRIT ONE LANDS WELL JUDGED END TO END WIN (FEB 12)
Perfectly rated ride helps Spirit One to a fourth career win
A SECOND SUCCESSIVE WIN FOR GOLDEEL (FEB 12)
Goldeel makes it two wins from only four starts
DAZZLING FLASH STRIKES AT TOOWOOMBA (FEB 5)
Made no mistake
GOLDEEL ROUNDS OFF A STRONG SECOND HALF OF JANUARY FOR TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS RACING (JAN 29)
That's five winners in the last fifteen days
FREEDOM AVENUE BREEZES HOME WITH EASE (JAN 22)
Another stable winner at Gatton
BOLTING LEO LAPS UP THE POLY TRACK (JAN 21)
Bolting Leo wins at the third time of asking
DU PLESSIS'S INCH PERFECT RIDE ON ROYALE RETURN (JAN 16)
Perfectly judged ride carries the day
RED BLOOM SCORES A MOST WELCOME WIN (JAN 15)
That's better
THE FINE LINE BETWEEN WINNING AND SECOND PLACE (DEC 31)
Nineteen seconds in three months. So near and yet so far
MAYA BAY SCORES A WELCOME WIN FOR TEAM SEARS (DEC 23)
Back in the winner's enclosure
NO CIGAR - BUT THE SECOND PLACES KEEP COMING (DEC 18)
It doesn't always feel that good, but second is better than third
BESTIE CONTINUES HIS CONSISTENT RUN OF RESULTS (DEC 4)
Paying his way
THE PIRACY PLAN: NOW FOR THE GRAND FINAL (DEC 3)
Just one step left now
IT'S NOT JUST THE WINNERS. THE SUPPORTING CAST ALSO HELPS KEEP A TRAINING BUSINESS VIABLE (NOV 29)
Every horse playing their part
PROMETHEUS FINISHES THIRD IN THE MOOLOOLABA CUP (NOV 20)
An eight-year-old still thriving on the competition
TOO EASY FOR RED SANDERS AT GATTON ON DEBUT FOR THE SEARS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (NOV 15)
Always nice when a horse wins on debut for the stable
PIRACY RULING THE WAVES ON THE COUNTRY SCENE (NOV 6)
On the front foot
THE SEARS CAMP. LOOKING BACK ON FOND MEMORIES AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE (NOV 2)
Making memories and plotting the path forward
TWO YEARS DOWN AND THE TONY AND MADDYSEN SEARS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP IS TICKING ALONG NICELY (NOV 1)
In as tough a game as you can get, the Sears Training Partnership is moving along smoothly
KNOCKING HARD ON THE DOOR (OCT 27)
The breakthrough win surely can't be far away
SINGLE DIZIRE JUST KEEPS ON WINNING (OCT 23)
Single Dizire takes her form to a fifty percent strike-rate
BACK-TO-BACK WINS FOR SINGLE DIZIRE (OCT 15)
A horse on the move
A VERY SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND'S WORK (OCT 2)
Sears' stable send out four winners on the weekend
PROGRESSIVE IMPROVEMENT SEES SINGLE DIZIRE CLAIM HER FIRST WIN AT IPSWICH (SEP 29)
Putting that important first win on the scoreboard
WEETWOOD DAY - ALWAYS A BIG DAY OUT FOR ANY TOOWOOMBA BASED STABLE (SEP 25)
Red Wave and Tycoon Ace do the stable proud
CHOICE BRO - A WEETWOOD SUCCESS STORY (SEP 22)
It's Weetwood week! Looking back on that big day out for the Sears camp on April 16, 2016
ELEUTHERA SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT (SEP 17)
Call it redemption! … setting the record straight … whatever you like. This was Eleuthera getting a just reward for her persistence.
WINNEBA MAKES NO MISTAKE. SCORES A DESERVED WIN (SEP 11)
That's one win and two runner-up finishes for Winneba now
SEARS STABLE LOOKING FORWARD TO WEETWOOD DAY (SEP 7)
Aiming to ace another Weetwood victory
NO CIGAR ... BUT A NUMBER OF NEAR MISSES (SEP 6)
Four narrow second place finishes
RUNNER WHO EARNED OVER $70 000 WHILE STILL A MAIDEN GETS THE CHOCOLATES AT TOOWOOMBA (AUG 21).
Two winners at Toowoomba for the Sears camp
BAANONE DOWNS A SPIRITED ADELASE TO SCORE HIS FIRST WIN IN QUEENSLAND (AUG 21).
Strong measured win in town fir Baanone
BANGERS AND MAYO'S TASTY WIN (AUG 14).
Too easy ... and a number of placed runners
DIS DAH WUN'S FINE RUN OF FORM CONTINUES (AUG 7).
No cigar but another good effort
IS THIS A PIECE OF HISTORY? FATHER AND DAUGHTER TRAINING PARTNERSHIP WINS A PREMIERSHIP (JULY 31)
Historic
THE SEARS CELEBRATION. THOSE TEARS EXPLAINED (JULY 30).
Emotional
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