Brian Ellison-trained Onesmoothoperator thriving at Werribee ahead of 2024 Melbourne Cup tilt

The betting attention is on the likes of Jan Brueghel and Vauban, but there’s another English stayer turning heads in the early days of his Melbourne Cup preparation at the Werribee quarantine centre.

An English stayer has already bucked a trend while starting a low-key build-up towards a dream result in next month’s Melbourne Cup.

Keeping weight on international runners on the arduous journey to Melbourne, which can take up to 45 hours, is a significant challenge for stables looking to impact the spring carnival.

But Brian Ellison said his charge, Onesmoothoperator, had done the reverse, adding weight to his frame during the trip and his first week at the Werribee Quarantine Centre.

“He’s had basically a week to settle in and the work begins now,” Ellison said.

“But he’s done well, he’s put weight on and he’s actually thriving.

“I’m very happy with him.

“He put on weight on the plane and he put weight on when he got here and he’s kept the weight on.”

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Ellison has largely eschewed a traditional English or Irish Melbourne Cup preparation for Onesmoothoperator.

The US-bred gelding has had 26 of his 36 starts on all-weather tracks, mainly in the north of England, winning four and finishing second in another 11 outings.

However, a race against last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight at York in June 2022 planted the seed of a trip to Victoria with Onesmoothoperator.

“The horse that won the Melbourne Cup last year, he ran against him at York and got beaten about four lengths but will be about a stone better off here,” Ellison said.

“A lot of his form will tie in.”

Onesmoothoperator working with regular track rider Matthew Brown aboard at the Werribee quarantine centre. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

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Bookmakers have Onesmoothoperator as short as $51 to win the Melbourne Cup but that quote could change if the seven-year-old secures a berth in the $8m event in his sole-lead-up race.

Onesmoothoperator is 40th in line for a Melbourne Cup start with his 50kg handicap meaning he needs to win a race to incur a weight penalty.

“Hopefully we get in. We don’t know if we’ll get in yet but he’s a horse that will be suited by Melbourne,” Ellison said.

“We know he stays two miles and he’s not a slow horse, he’s got loads of speed.

“I think we’ll have to go to Geelong to try and get in the Melbourne Cup so we’ll see how he’ll get on.”

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Onesmoothoperator might give away a class edge to the likes of Vauban and the unbeaten Melbourne Cup favourite Jan Brueghel but Ellison said his charge had cleared one important hurdle.

“Willie (Mullins) is coming down with two very, very good horses (Vauban and Absurde) and Aidan (O’Brien) is coming down with the favourite (Jan Brueghel) but it’s a matter of what adapts when they come here.

“I’ve seen horses come here before with the 12-hour difference and don’t adapt.

“He’s eating well and is doing everything right.”

Originally published as Brian Ellison-trained Onesmoothoperator thriving at Werribee ahead of 2024 Melbourne Cup tilt