BRIAN ELLISON SET FOR MELBOURNE CUP BID WITH ONESMOOTHOPERATOR
Yorkshire-based trainer Brian Ellison has arrived in Melbourne on a wave of excitement, marking a significant career milestone. Ellison celebrated his 1,500th training victory whilst en-route from Britain to Australia. The trainer now turns his attention to a second tilt at the Group 1 Melbourne Cup with the talented stayer ONESMOOTHOPERATOR.
The seven-year-old gelding had a victorious Australian trip in 2024, scoring the Group 3 Geelong Cup convincingly on his first run in the Southern Hemisphere. He sustained a minor cut during a workout after the race but recovered in time to race in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, where he finished 12th , only five and three quarters lengths behind the winner.
Ellison flew Onesmoothoperator back to the UK before targeting the Dubai Racing Festival. He raced three times at Meydan, notably finishing third in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy, further demonstrating his international credentials.
Ellison trains from Spring Cottage Stables in North Yorkshire, where his horses have access to turn-out paddocks, open air stables, a water walker and a salt therapy room amongst other facilities.
He has enjoyed a successful 2025 season, highlighted by a French Listed victory in July with the exciting two-year-old WOR FAAYTH, who was acquired as a breeze-up in May. He also bids for Group 1 glory in France on Saturday with his Group 1 placed and Group 2 runner-up TASHKHAN, who was supplemented in the Prix du Cadran, a race in which the horse finished third in 2022.
Onesmoothoperator has been lightly raced this summer in Britain with only three starts, but Ellison is ready to roll the dice again in Australia. He spoke to Great British Racing International (GBRI) about the decision:
“It has been the plan since last year. His owners had a great experience with him winning the Geelong Cup and he ran well enough in the Melbourne Cup to pick up prize money to cover the expenses, so it was always on the cards to come back again.”
On the gelding’s condition since he arrived in Australia on Monday, Ellison said:
“He travelled over great and has settled in really well again. He didn’t lose any weight on the journey and is fresh and well.
“We’ve moved up to 28 on the list for the Melbourne Cup, which is much better than we were at this stage last year, but a win in Geelong is a golden ticket. It probably means it will be a tougher race this year, and we may get in at the next stage without it, but we will still give him a prep run first and all being well go to Flemington after that.”