Tony and Maddysen Sears are still feeling the sting of what might have been, after Yellow Brick charged home for second in the Stradbroke Handicap.

Now, their stable star is enjoying a short break before preparing for a shot at the Group 1 Epsom in Sydney this spring.

Yellow Brick is set to resume in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) on August 23 at Randwick, following a couple of trials.

He underwhelmed in the BRC Sprint (1350m) but surged late in the Stradbroke, finishing just under a length behind War Machine.

“We own him so we don’t have to race him much,” Tony Sears said.

“He’s a strong horse and he came through the Stradbroke well.”

Yellow Brick earned a Racing and Sports rating of 119—just one point below the winner.

That stacks up well with recent Epsom winners, who have averaged 117 over the past seven years.

Purchased for $20,000 in 2021, Yellow Brick has earned nearly $2.2 million from 22 starts.