Newcastle trainer ‘wipes the floor’ with Australian rivals and sees star horse smashed in odds for £2.5m Melbourne Cup
A LITTLE-KNOWN trainer from Newcastle is eyeing up a life-changing £2.5million winner in one of the world’s most famous races after his superstar horse demolished his sorry Aussie rivals.
The aptly named Onesmoothoperator made mincemeat of the oppo in the £200,000 Group 3 Geelong Cup down under, booking his place in the Melbourne Cup.
Come November 5, Brian Ellison could become one of the most famous names in racingPA:Press Association
PAOnesmoothoperator already won the Pitman’s Derby at Newcastle earlier this year[/caption]
https://x.com/Racing/status/1848957194730905975
The six-year-old has already given his Geordie trainer the season of dreams when winning the local Pitman’s Derby (Northumberland Plate) at Newcastle earlier this season on Ellison’s birthday.
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And he has been now been smashed into 12-1 from 33-1 to land the race that stops a nation on November 5.
Speaking to Racing.com, Ellison said: “I’ve been here a few times and had a few bits of bad luck, but this horse has been brilliant.
“He came over, he put weight on during the trip over, and Matt Brown, who rides him every day, has been great.
“He’s not your normal stayer, he’s got loads of speed and he’s always had a good turn of foot.
“I kept saying to the owner [Patrick Boyle] that we had to go to Australia. The owner loves his racing and I said you have to go to Australia at this time of year, it’s fantastic.
“I said this horse has a good chance if we get into the Cup.”
Following his absolute demolishment of his Australian rivals in the Geelong Cup, X, formerly known as Twitter, began to get steamy.
One punter said: “Very good performance Lee, made hacks of them in the Geelong race…but what does it say about the Aussie staying ranks. And how would he go versus Vauban, Jan Breughel et al!”
Another added: “Lovely horse, great trainer, but Aussie racing…”
And an Ellison fan said: “Wow! What a performance by Onesmoothoperator!
“Thrilled for Brian Ellison and the team.”
Unlike many people in racing Ellison, born on Pitman’s Derby day in 1952, had no background in racing.
One of eight children, his father worked as a Tyneside ship builder and his mother a cleaner in the local Newcastle hospital.
Always obsessed by sport Ellison stared out life desperate to make it as a professional footballer, but at 4ft 9″ he was deemed too small and so turned his attentions to becoming a jockey.
At 14, he sat on his first horse and a year later he abandoned school to pursue a career in racing, taking out his license at 17.
After 20 years in the saddle riding National Hunt horses, Ellison took out his trainer’s license and has, since 1988, racked up over a thousand winners.
With over a hundred horses – both flat and jumps – the Yorkshire-based trainer is as experienced as they come, and is no stranger to travelling his horses to Australia either.
Carte Diamond ran impressively well in the Caulfield Cup in 2005 but was subsequently ruled out of the Melbourne Cup due to injury.
He also trained the iconic chaser Definitely Red, who won 14 races and ran in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand national.
And now he could add an absolute whopper to his trophy cabinet, but he must first surpass Aidan O’Brien’s Jan Breughel and Willie Mullins’ Vauban.
Melbourne Cup odds
Jan Brueghel 9/2
Buckaroo 5/1
Vauban 8/1
Onesmoothoperator 11/1
Duke De Sessa 12/1
Land Legend 14/1
Zardozi 25/1
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