The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Yellow Brick will make a keenly anticipated return to racing when he lines up in the Australian Turf Club Trophy over 1200m at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday with top hoop Opie Bosson in the saddle.
Bosson’s expertise will be a positive factor when Yellow Brick strives to overcome the worst of the draw (he has drawn barrier 16 out of 16) and the Sears camp is thrilled to have the services of the top tier rider.
“Opie approached us when we were over in New Zealand earlier this year and said if ever we wanted him to come over and ride Yellow Brick, he would,” said Maddysen Sears. “That definitely doesn’t happen to every trainer.
“As we all know, Opie is right up there … he is one of the best … and we were very happy to take up that opportunity with him, so we grabbed the bull by the horns.”
Saturday’s meeting was originally scheduled to be the Gold Coast Turf Club’s Winter Carnival showpiece, but had to be transferred to the Sunshine Coast because of problems with the Gold Coast track.
Yellow Brick franked his above average ability early, winning six of his first eight starts, a run of success which included a win the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas at the corresponding meeting a year ago, when racing also took place at the Sunshine Coast while the Gold Coast track was being rebuilt.
Following that Guineas victory, Yellow Brick has had four subsequent starts for three second placings (in the Fred Best and the Gunsynd – both Group 3 races – and in the Listed Weetwood) and an unplaced finish in the Silver Eagle, where things went very wrong in several aspects, circumstances which turned into real setback with Yellow Brick immediately pulled from racing and sent to the paddock.
The Silver Eagle race took place on October 14, which means that Yellow Brick’s first up run on Saturday will come close to seven months since he was last in action.
Maddysen Sears says the positive out of that is that Yellow Brick has returned a better horse.
“He is definitely bigger and stronger,” said Sears. “All of his data shows he has taken natural improvement from last time in and we couldn’t be any happier with him.
“He galloped in-between races at Toowoomba on Saturday night and his work was enormous,” said Sears. “Bailey Wheeler rode him for us and he said he gave him an unbelievable feel. He travelled to the line really strong, and Bailey said he felt like he was only in second or third gear.”
“We haven’t exactly got a ‘welcome back’ draw … it’s the widest draw, but, as far as the horse itself is concerned, we are very happy with him.
“Obviously, his main target is the Stradbroke,” said Sears, adding, “I feel we are going into the Carnival with our best team yet,” with the likes of Steady Ready, Beau Dazzler and Wednesday’s smart debut winner The Gambling Greek all part of a positive looking Sears Carnival lineup.