Smooth success for new Cup contender
A new contender for next month’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) was unveiled on Wednesday when Onesmoothoperator (Dialed In) made the smoothest of Australian debuts in the $500,000 Geelong Cup (Gr 3, 2400m).
Trained by Brian Ellison in North Yorkshire, England, the seven-year-old boasted just four all-weather wins before Wednesday’s contest, but had hit a new level of form recently back home, winning the Northumberland Plate (2m 1/2f) at Newcastle in June before respectable efforts in defeat when finishing seventh in the Ebor Handicap (1m 6f) at York in August and fourth behind recent Group 1 winner Kalpana (Study Of Man) in the September Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 4f) at Kempton last month.
Racing in the colours of owner Patrick Boyle, Onesmoothoperator was sent off an $11 chance under Craig Williams and settled towards the rear of the 13-runner field in the dramatic early stages of the Group 3 contest, where favourite Unusual Legacy (Unusual Suspect) was pulled up before the first turn.
The US-bred son of Dialed In (Mineshaft) made a move with 1000 metres to go and loomed four-wide on the home bend before quickening in decisive style, claiming a first stakes success, and first victory on turf, by an eased-down 2.3 lengths. The Ciaron Maher-trained Interpretation (Galileo) was a fast-finishing second, while Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s Muramasa (Deep Impact) was a further 0.3 lengths away in third.
Chris Waller revealed on Wednesday evening that Unusual Legacy did not have a life-threatening injury after being pulled up by his rider Joao Moreira and, despite it being ‘highly unlikely’ that the five-year-old gelding will race again, that he will be ok.
“It was good, wasn’t it?” Ellison told ANZ Bloodstock News after the race. “Not just winning, but the way he won. I was worried about the mile and a half, the sharp track, and before the race no pace, but I just said to Craig ‘sit where you jump, don’t worry because he’s got loads of speed.’ It was great, I can’t believe how easy he won.”
While Ellison was surprised by such an emphatic display, he had long since identified Onesmoothoperator as an ideal candidate to compete in Australia, and the gelding had not disappointed in his work leading up to Wednesday’s Group 3.
“For a while I’ve thought it [he would be a Melbourne Cup contender],” he said. “I’ve been here a few times and I know what you need, you need a horse who stays and you need a horse who can travel. He’s like that.
“We knew he’d been working well and he has thrived since coming. His times – obviously we do a lot of timing here – they have been very good. He’s been comfortable and looks happy.
“I think horses enjoy the one-on-one, he’s had a lot of attention from the team since he’s been here and actually he loves it.
“Craig [Williams] said he’ll improve for the run. He’s been in Newmarket for two weeks, he’s been here for three, so for five weeks he’s been on his own. All his work has been on his own. To then go racing with competition against other horses, he’ll improve for it.”
After his success, Onesmoothoperator moved into $10 fourth-favouritism for the Melbourne Cup, behind only the Willie Mullins-trained Vauban (Galiway), Chris Waller’s Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock) and the $5 favourite Jan Brueghel (Galileo), Aidan O’Brien’s English St Leger (Gr 1, 1m 6.5f) hero.
“I’m not gonna say we’re gonna win the Melbourne Cup, but I think we’re gonna go and run well,” Ellison added. “Obviously Willie’s two [Vauban and Absurde] are very good, and Aidan’s [Jan Brueghel], but at least we got in and we’re gonna go and give it a good shot.
“As long as he runs a good race we’ll be happy. The main thing was getting him in it and now we’re in it. It’s great.
“From my owners’ point of view, it was massive taking the chance to come out here. It’s a lot of money. We’re getting vetted again on Friday, we go for scans on Saturday. You get vetted every Friday, and before every run. You’re on tenterhooks when they’re checking your horse. It’s intense. He won $300,000 today, so he’s paid for his trip and everything is fine.”
Ellison had been considering appointing the services of UK-based jockey Hollie Doyle for the Melbourne Cup before Wednesday, but now anticipates Williams will keep the ride.
“He’ll have to,” the trainer said. “It’ll be hard to knock Craig off now I think.”
Onesmoothoperator (7 g Dialed In – Sueno D’Oro by Medaglia D’Oro) was bought for just US$5,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale in 2019. After winning on debut over a mile and two furlongs at Newcastle in March 2021, the gelding had five further runs for previous trainer David Simcock before being sold for 65,000gns at the 2021 Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale and sent to Ellison. He is the fifth foal and fourth winner out of Medaglia D’Oro (El Prado) mare Sueno D’Oro.
In winning Saturday’s Geelong Cup, Onesmoothoperator became the 29th individual stakes winner for Darby Dan Farm stallion Dialed In, who stood for a fee of US$15,000 in 2024.