Yellow Brick crowned King Of The Mountain

By Danny Matthews (Racing and Sports)

Veteran Toowoomba trainer Tony Sears has described Yellow Brick's win in the first edition of the $750,000 King Of The Mountain at his home course as "the biggest highlight" of his training career.

The King Of The Mountain (1200m) was run on Saturday night at Toowoomba and became the newest slot race run in Australia, and a first in a regional area.

Now training in partnership with his daughter Maddysen, the pair also snared third placing with stablemate Steady Ready. 

However, Yellow Brick's victory was extra special with the three-year-old gelding's ownership being entirely within the family.

"I was very confident but I was worried about Steady Ready because I know how good he is," Tony said.

"But everything has been done for my daughter. I wanted to win that for my daughter and that's why I never sold the horse."

With the encouragement and assistance of Paul Moroney, brother of Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mike, Sears' stable purchased Yellow Brick for $20,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Yearling Sales.

At the New Year's Eve meeting at Toowoomba the Sears team collected $350,000.

Among a wall of horses from that sale at the time with aspirations of taking on the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) on January 14, Maddysen is ready to take the next leap.

"I can't even speak," she said while overcome with the thrill. 

"We own him and I love him so much. 

"He's going to win the Guineas now."

Ridden by Ben Thompson, Yellow Brick started at $7 and scored by 1¼-lengths over the Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained Alpine Edge ($15) with Steady Ready ($5.50) 1½-lengths away in third.

"Winning five from six (starts), it is not easy to do," Thompson said. 

"His biggest risk today was against older horses but he lifted the bar and delivered."

The form proved telling from performances of other runners at Doomben in black type races earlier in the day.

"He trialed and beat home Count Da Beans and other decent horses last Tuesday and just having that experience and having ticked that box after having had a trial as well as he did pulling up as clean as a whistle, I thought I could pretty much do anything on him and the barrier (nine) wasn't going to determine how we go."

 On the track, the King Of The Mountain exceeded Thompson's expectations.

"It's unreal. Obviously so much hype around this (race) and I wasn't sure what to expect (being) New Year's Eve," he said.

"It's a local affair but it is special. It makes you think that winning a big race and getting a slot in a race, when it comes to a slot race, it is a realistic task for Queensland trainers. 

"Kudos to Tony and Maddysen Sears for preparing the horse the way they have."