British challenger smashes way into £4.5 million Melbourne Cup with stunning win

A British horse has smashed his way into contention for the £4.5 million Lexus Melbourne Cup in stunning fashion.

Onesmoothoperator, trained by Brian Ellison in Yorkshire, captured the Northumberland Plate in June and then finished seventh in the Ebor at York in August.

He travelled to needing a victory in the £267,000 Ladbrokes Geelong Cup to guarantee a place in the field for Australia’s most famous race. Top Australian jockey Craig Williams was booked for the occasion and the combination delivered handsomely.

Settled at the back of the field, Onesmoothoperator sprinted forward early in the straight and forged away from his rivals to win by two and a quarter lengths.

The six-year-old will now join the Willie Mullins-trained pair Vauban and Absurde and Jan Brueghel, trained by Aidan O’Brien, in the ‘race that stops a nation’ at Flemington on November 5.

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Ellison told Racing.com: “I’ve been here a few times and had bits of bad luck. This horse has been brilliant. I said to Craig he’s not your normal stayer, he has loads of speed. He’s always had a good turn of foot and he gave him a great ride.

“I kept saying to the owner he had to come to Australia for this time of year, it’s a fantastic and I said if he gets in the Cup he’s got a good chance.

“He got too far back in the Ebor. Nothing was coming from behind and he just got shuffled too far back. He had far too much to do. He still ran well, finished seventh. Then he went to Kempton, and it was too short over a mile and a half. The winner won a Group 1, the horse behind her finished second in a Group 3, so the form has been really good.”

Ellison endured rotten luck 19 years ago when his challenger Carte Diamond had to be withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup just days before the big race.

During an exercise at Flemington he lost his jockey when a piece of equipment broke and the horse suffered deep cuts after crashing through a fence.

Recalling that year, Ellison said: “He was going into the Melbourne Cup absolutely bouncing after the Caulfield Cup. It was just unfortunate what happened. This horse is bouncing.”

Williams said: “The way the make up is of this race and with his form it was really hard to get a guide with him.

"He showed some really good attributes in some of his races and even his last race where he was beaten seven lengths it was still a great performance. So I was really delighted to be on his back for today’s race.

“I think he is well placed for this year’s race and that’s all you ever ask for. You are looking for the best horse in that year and he ticks good boxes in the fact that he stays really well, he’s been on synthetic tracks, and a very firm track today. He’s won on soft and he runs over long distance.

Williams, winning his sixth Geelong Cup, went on: “Today it was like riding him on cotton wool. Brian Ellison and his team have done a great job. He is a really fit horse, he’s a healthy horse and he was a lovely horse to have for a ride. He’s only got improvement to come.

“I had the right run from a tricky barrier draw. It worked out really well and it was good to get an understanding of him going forward, which was great. Most importantly he got the win. It’s a great lead-up race, especially for international horses going to the Cup."