The Melbourne Cup remains the grand goal for Onesmoothoperator, who made a winning return to Australian racing by taking out the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) on Friday night.
Trainer Brian Ellison, who prepared the gelding to win last year’s Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m), had considered a title defence before heavy weather convinced the North Yorkshire horseman to switch to Moonee Valley.
Though winless since his Geelong triumph — including a 12th-place finish as a $7 chance in the 2023 Melbourne Cup won by Knight’s Choice — Onesmoothoperator justified his $4.20 favouritism, storming home from the back to defeat Athabascan ($20) by three-quarters of a length, with Scary ($14) close up in third.
Ellison said the solid tempo helped his charge settle and finish powerfully, and attention now turns to Flemington.
“I thought we had a bit to do at one stage, but when he pulled him out, he picked up well,” Ellison said.
“I know he’s got a great turn of foot, you just can’t ride him handy, you have to ride him for luck. He gave him a great ride.”
“We needed a gallop on, and there was plenty of gallop on. I thought ‘are we in trouble here’ but when he got him rolling… he’ll improve for the run as well.”
Onesmoothoperator will undergo final vet checks ahead of the Melbourne Cup after favourite Sir Delius was ruled out, but Ellison said confidence remains high.
“I just want ten days with no dramas like we did last year, like we’ve had before, and he’ll run well at Flemington,” Ellison said.
“I’m not sure he’s going to win it because it’s a really hot race, but he won’t disgrace himself.”
“He goes for his bone scan tomorrow again, and hopefully, he comes out of that alright. He got vetted this morning, he got vetted two days ago, everything’s good.”
With 52 kilograms in the Melbourne Cup on November 4, Onesmoothoperator could still receive a penalty. With Mark Zahra committed to Al Riffa, Ellison has booked Caulfield Cup–winning jockey Harry Coffey for the ride. The gelding has firmed to $11 for the Cup.
Punters eyeing a bet on the Melbourne Cup can find the best odds at leading Australian betting sites like Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and TAB.