Craig Williams wins Geelong Cup on UK import Onesmoothoperator to secure Melbourne Cup ride

Champion jockey Craig Williams says import Onesmoothoperator looks well placed for the Melbourne Cup after his dominant Geelong Cup win.

Craig Williams claimed his sixth Geelong Cup win with UK raider Onesmoothoperator. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Champion jockey Craig Williams has secured a Melbourne Cup ride aboard UK import Onesmoothoperator after a dominant Geelong Cup triumph on Wednesday.

Onesmoothoperator has a shot at being only the fourth horse to complete the Geelong-Melbourne Cup and first since Dunaden in 2011.

Williams, now a six-time Geelong Cup winner, piloted Dunaden in 2011 and was set to ride the French import in the Melbourne Cup but for a suspension.

Onesmoothoperator firmed $51 into $12 for the Melbourne Cup with Ladbrokes after the Geelong Cup.

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“Yeah, I think he’s well placed for this year’s race, and that’s all you’re ever asking for,” Williams said.

“You’re looking for the best horse in that year, and he ticks good boxes.

“He stays really well. He’s been a synthetic track, a very firm track today. He’s won on soft, and he runs over long distance, and today he’s like riding on cotton wool, the way he was.

“(Trainer) Brian Ellison and his team have done a great job. He’s a really fit horse. He’s a healthy horse. I think he’s only got improvement to come from him.”

That's Onesmoothoperator 😎

The import makes a mess of them in the 2024 Geelong Cup 🏆 @[e-mail]/OtrkUC6ka9

— Racing.com (@Racing) October 23, 2024

Williams slotted in midfield with cover from a tricky barrier nine and travelled into the straight like the winner a long way from home.

Interpretation and Muramasa put in strong Melbourne Cup trials with powerful finishes to run second and third respectively, 2¼ lengths from the winner.

Despite not producing a Melbourne Cup winner for 13 years, the Geelong Cup form has stacked up strongly on the first Tuesday in November.

Emissary (2022) and Prince Of Arran (2019) placed second in the Melbourne Cup in their respective campaigns.

Trainer Brian Ellison was thrilled with the result on Wednesday.

“I’ve been here a few times and had a few bits of bad luck but this horse has been brilliant,” Ellison said.

“He came over, he put weight on the trip over ... I just said to Craig, ‘it’s not your normal stayer, he’s got loads of speed’.

“He’s always had a good turn of foot, and a great ride.”

Craig Williams waves to the crowd after winning the Geelong Cp aboard Onesmoothoperator. Picture: Jay Town/Racing Photos via Getty Images

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Onesmoothoperator has largely flown under the Cup radar this spring as predominantly an all-weather track specialist in the UK.

The US-bred gelding had 26 of his 36 starts before the Geelong Cup on synthetic tracks for four wins.

The seven-year-old was winless through nine starts on turf tracks previously, including a seventh placing in the Ebor Handicap.

“He got too far back (Ebor)... nothing was coming from behind in the Ebor and the ideal was sitting in the middle and we just got shuffled too far back, and if you look with 20 plus lengths turning in, it was just far too much to do,” Ellison said.

“He still ran well. He finished seventh, and then we went to Kempton, and it was too short, a mile-and-a-half there, but they went slow.

“The winner won a Group 1 (since), the horse behind us finished second in Group 3 so the form has been really good. It’s great but I think he’s loved it here.”

Geelong Cup favourite Unusual Legacy thankfully avoided a serious injury after being pulled up out of the race the first time past the post.

Jockey Joao Moreira appeared uncomfortable on the Chris Waller-trained stayer in the run to the first corner and then veered wide around the bend.

Racing Victoria vets confirmed Unusual Legacy sustained a suspected soft tissue injury.