Sears stable secures Collett on standby for Yellow Brick ride

5 days ago 4

By Craig Kerry

October 2, 2025 — 5.00pm

Queensland trainers Tony and Maddysen Sears will turn to Jason Collett to ride Yellow Brick in the group 1 Epsom Handicap on Saturday at Randwick if regular jockey Andrew Mallyon is unable to recover in time from a fall.

Mallyon was named to ride the Stradbroke Handicap runner-up on Tuesday in the $1.5 million mile but fell from Miss Chamonix early in race four at Grafton that day. He injured his right elbow and it was unclear on Thursday if he would be fit to take the Yellow Brick ride, which was his only one on the day.

Tony Sears was told Mallyon had been cleared of any breaks, but the jockey had a hematoma and was seeing a doctor on Thursday. He said Collett, who took Yellow Brick to third in the $2 million Five Diamonds at Rosehill last November, was on standby.

“We trust that he’s not going to ride the horse unless he’s 100 per cent,” Sears said of Mallyon.

Sears’ daughter, Maddysen, knows Yellow Brick better than anyone and has warned to write him off at your peril in the Epsom.

Yellow Brick was a $46 (Sportsbet) chance after coming fourth in the Show County Quality (1200m) and seventh in the Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick, since his huge run to finish three-quarters behind War Machine in the group 1 Stradbroke.

Yellow Brick and Jason Collett, left, finish third to Pericles and Freedom Rally in the Five Diamonds.

Maddysen has been with Yellow Brick for his Sydney campaign, riding him regularly in the track work. She was happy with the draw in 11 of 14 for the six-year-old and was backing him for a top-three finish.

“I think he was the forgotten horse in the Stradbroke and he’s probably going to be overlooked again,” Maddysen Sears said.

“When he has one run which people who don’t know think is a bad run, he’s all of a sudden crucified.

“He hasn’t won nearly $3 million for no reason. He’s very talented and I believe the mile is he’s sweet spot.”

She said Yellow Brick was “probably going better” than he was heading into the Stradbroke, and she expected a turnaround after an unsuitable run in the Bill Ritchie. Yellow Brick raced on the fence behind leader With Your Blessing, which controlled the tempo before kicking away to win.

“He’s very, very solid going into this weekend, but I think the difference from his last start to now, is the tempo of the race and where he’ll be in the run,” she said.

“He had 59.5 kilos the other day and he was held up halfway up the straight. He’s not a horse who can go boom and sprint really quick. All of his really good runs, he starts to build and build, and he hits top gear halfway up the straight, but he’s going really well, he feels brilliant underneath me.

“I think the wide gate is probably going to be a little bit beneficial. There’s enough speed in it, and he’s a massive horse and not one that likes being crammed up.”