08/05/2026
Archer Wrap
By Tony McMahon
Bursting with justifiable pride fuelled by emotion, Rocky Amateurs chairman Bill Reid told the faithful gathered before him at Callaghan Park on Tuesday just before 5pm “we’ll be back next year”.
(It reminded me of the famous quote of General Douglas MacArthur in 1942 when saying after leaving the Phillipines “I (we) shall return” and he and the American troops did triumphantly two years later).
Minutes earlier Reid and the hundreds gathered there had just witnessed Tony and Maddysen Sears Gold Coast trained star Yellow Brick win the $1M Archer(1300M) against the greatest field ever assembled at the historic racecourse.
However, Reid’s words were not just conceived from that alone but more so from the turbulent gut wrenching events of the previous 53 hours of firstly disarray, disappointments and then recreation of Rocky’s richest ever race-day after if was a last minute cancellation on Sunday.
Those events are well documented but not so Sunday’s successful rebirth of The Archer from what had been reshaped from a ruin.
Some non- believers even had the Rocky Amateurs “The Home Of The Archer” dead and buried.
Fools!”
And a ruin - that very thought would have been an insult to even consider of the Rocky Amateurs team who have a country heritage proudly built on resilience and a “get in and make it happen” attitude.
On Sunday they did and it worked.
The 2026 version of The Archer will not only be indelibly recorded in the annals of the Rocky Amateurs (Central Queensland Amateur Race Club) but it will be an entrenched and cherished memory for those who witnessed it’s running.
As a prolific writer, I could record reams about it but for now I shall be brief.
Officially, Yellow Brick (Tommy Berry, $3.40fav.)won by 1.1 lengths from Shaun Dwyer Sunshine Coast trained Anemacore (NZ) (Michael Rodd, $19.00).
Tony Gollan’s Boomtown Boss (Angela Jones, $10.00)was a very close third.
Sadly, Angela Jones broke her collar bone in a track mishap in Brisbane on Thursday and will miss the Winter Racing Carnival and face a lengthy time out of the saddle.
Less than three lengths covered the first seven horses home in The Archer.
Before signing off I must mention the magnificent effort of the Sparrow family owned and Kelvin managed Cherry Rose trained by Jamie McConachy in finishing 1.98 lengths sixth.
The bonny mare with weights, the barrier draw and class stacked against her defiantly led her “big brothers” right up to the 100 metres.
Even then “Cherry” fought on and typified “courage under fire”.
I hope to pen more about The Archer Day next week.
HOOFNOTE: Magic Millions sold Yellow Brick as the Gold Coast National Yearling Sale in 2021 for $20,000. After The Archer it’s winnings stand at $3,995,900.
Maddysen Sears the co-trainer of Yellow Brick proudly displays The Archer trophy. Winning jockey Tommy Berry and trainer Tony Sears in the background. Picture: Caught in the Act Photography