Dumped jockey wins $43,000 payout after Yellow Brick saga

Queensland stewards have ruled jockey Andrew Mallyon is entitled to the $42,994 winning percentage from Yellow Brick’s QTIS Magic Millions in January after he was dumped by connections in favour of premier jockey James McDonald.

The long-running inquiry into Mallyon being replaced by McDonald for the $1.5 million QTIS race in January was completed last month by stewards.

Stewards ruled Mallyon was “entitled to compensation equivalent to the agreed winning rider’s percentage” as he had a written agreement with connections when he relinquished a booking for Yellow Brick.

Mallyon had been booked for Yellow Brick for the QTIS race, but prior to official jockey acceptances it had become clear to Tony and Maddy Sears and their connections McDonald was available for the race and they booked him.

McDonald, who is Mallyon’s brother-in-law, took the ride and won the QTIS race and was not a party to the drama that followed, and had nothing to do with the inquiry.

Maddy Sears admitted Mallyon had been put into the Racing Australia portal as the rider for Yellow Brick in the race, but it was only changed after he agreed to step aside.

Mallyon, his manager Drew Smith and Tony Sears had agreed on compensation before the race, when the jockey stepped aside in written form via email.

Stewards found Mallyon had expressed a desire to keep the ride and he acted in good faith in surrendering the ride after the offer of compensation.