It’s Stradbroke week and co-trainer Tony Sears has no concerns about the chances of his charge Yellow Brick in Queensland’s $3 million signature race on Saturday … a race in which Yellow Brick finished second last year at the unwanted odds of $41.
A question mark would have been raised by some when Yellow Brick finished last in the Kingsford Smith Cup two weeks out from the Stradbroke Handicap, but Sears was happy to brush aside that result and add of few pointers of his own.
“Don’t worry about it. He’s good. He’s fine,” said Sears. “He finished down the field in the BRC Sprint last year before the Stradbroke … it was just that the track didn’t suit him really (in the Kingsford Smith). It was a bit wet … and he pulled hard.
“We are not worried at all. He was a little bit short of a run, and he has come on enormous since then. He has had a couple of real good gallops … including with one of Mick Price’s horses on the course proper. He galloped brilliantly … so we are all good to go.
“My only surprise was when Tommy Berry, who was due to ride Yellow Brick in the Stradbroke, jumped off. I couldn’t believe it. Jason Collett will ride him now.”
Yellow Brick has had two starts this preparation and Berry was in the saddle on both occasions, guiding the son of The Mission to a big victory in the $1 million The Archer and he was in the saddle again in the tame effort Kingsford Smith Cup.
As Sears mentioned, Yellow Brick put in a similar below par performance last year in the BRC Sprint in the run before the Stradbroke but Andrew Mallyon stuck with the Sears trained runner then and so was part of that tremendous, big race runner-up result.
For the second big race in a row the barrier gods have not been kind to Yellow Brick. He was luckless when drawing barrier fourteen (out of sixteen) in the Kingsford Smith and he again will be way out in the breeze after drawing the extreme outside barrier in the Stradbroke.
So, Yellow Brick will have it all to do when the gates open … and it really appears to be a huge task … but he was overlooked to a large degree by punters in last year’s Stradbroke … almost to the own peril … and, if nothing else, last year’s result at long odds and Tony Sears’ current assessment of his horse should serve as a reminder to punters to handle this ten-time winner and $3.9 million earner with care.
It is also worth noting that Yellow Brick has won half of his starts at Eagle Farm (four out of eight … with three runner-up finishes) and has saluted on both good and heavy going.
Yellow Brick is currently quoted at odds of $51 with online betting sites.
