Geelong Cup Victory for SMOOTHIE 🏆

ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) provided us with a first Group race victory as owners and a special maiden success in Australia in the Group 3 Ladbrokes Geelong Cup on Wednesday.

Ridden expertly by jockey Craig Williams, Smoothie was settled towards the rear of the field before edging closer to the front of the race down the back straight. Into the home turn four-wide, Smoothie quickened up very smartly putting the race to bed in a matter of strides, striking in similar fashion to his victory in the Plate back in June.

Following the victory the Australian handicapper has decided that a 1kg penalty (2.2lbs) is sufficient for the Melbourne Cup. The penalty confirms that he will move up to 22nd on the order of entry all but ensuring his place in the big race. Craig Williams will again take the ride at Flemington.

The victory at Geelong is beyond anything we could have hoped for and we are so proud and thankful of Smoothie, Craig and all of the team down under. Brian & Claire have done a great job to get him primed for this trip and special thanks to Matt Brown who has been alongside Smoothie for every step of this journey to the other side of the world. The hard work has paid off and anything we now go on to achieve in Australia is a bonus.

Bring on the Cup!

Race replay can be found here:

https://www.racing.com/news/2024-10-23/news-review-onesmoothoperators-geelong-cup

Interview following the Geelong Cup success: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0a3984RI3Tedq6yuAJ7k96

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Photos courtesy of Racing Photos - photos.racing.com

SMOOTHIE Heads Down-Under!🦘

We are excited to share that ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) has safely journeyed to Australia for an Autumn campaign hopefully closing with a run in the prestigious Flemington Melbourne Cup!

Arriving by plane in the early hours of 29th September, Smoothie travelled excellently maintaining his weight across the 36 hour total of travel. His handler, Matt Brown, who has also flown out to Australia, spent the duration of the Newmarket quarantine with the horse, riding him out every morning and taking care of him at Werribee International Horse Centre. He will continue to do so through the trip in Melbourne. Trainer Brian Ellison has also gone down-under and on touchdown in Australia said "Smoothie is in great shape, he travelled strongly and we are hoping he can secure a spot in the Melbourne Cup now." Currently at 40th on the waiting list to participate in"the race that stops a nation," Smoothie, if accepted through the cut, will run off bottom weight of 7st 12lb. This would mark our first appearance in the historic Melbourne Cup and hopefully not our last!

If Smoothie is balloted out of the Melbourne Cup, there are numerous alternative options available to him. The valuable Geelong Cup on 23rd October could well serve as an ideal preparation race for him and the prestigious Queen Elizabeth stakes on November 9th is the back-up target if he didn't get into the Melbourne Cup.

Onesmoothoperator Werribee gallop 21/02/2024

Our family are flying out to Melbourne in October in preparation for Smoothie's campaign and we cannot wait to see him run in Australia. Owner Patrick said "To potentially have a runner in Australia's most valuable race is extraordinary for us, and even if we don't get in the Melbourne Cup, the trip and experience as a whole will be a one to remember!" Whatever happens on this trip as a whole we will all cherish the experience greatly.

All fingers are crossed for Smoothie's successful and safe journey in Melbourne! 🦘

SMOOTH Success in the Plate

On Saturday, ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) trained by Brian Ellison was a ready winner of the Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle under Connor Beasley on what was the most special of days for everyone involved.

A few days on from Smoothie's victory it is still difficult to put into words just how much this means to us all. Winning the big race at our local track will stay with us forever. This is our biggest race victory as owners and we are so pleased to be involved in the horse that has given Brian a first success in the race he has always wanted to win.

Connor gave Smoothie a peach of a ride sitting towards the rear throughout, turning for home Connor angled him wide and with a couple of pushes he had passed all but one of the horses in front of him in a fittingly smooth fashion. Heading into the final furlong, and seemingly with a lot of horse still underneath him, Connor finally said go and put the race to bed in a matter of strides. The eventual winning margin was a comfortable 2 1/2 lengths with a new course record being set -1.07 seconds faster than the previous record.

It wasn't to be for TASHKHAN (IRE) and Ben Robinson with Tash not performing on the quick riding all-weather surface, but they both played their part in the success by pushing a strong end-to-end gallop which was ultimately to the benefit of Onesmoothoperator's finishing effort.

Thanks go to so many but no one deserves more praise than Matt Brown who does a fantastic job looking after & riding out Smoothie every day. He has been his biggest supporter and has believed in him since day one.

Our biggest thanks & congratulations go to Brian & Claire, Jessica & Ben, Matt, Andy, Kayleigh, and all of the staff at the yard who without them these days would not be possible, to Connor for an ice-cool ride, to good friend David Appleton who bought Smoothie for us specifically as a horse for this race, to Newcastle Racecourse and their wonderful staff, and to all our family and friends who were there to make the day (and night) one to remember!