It’s hard enough to understand what Brian Ellison says at the best of times, that thick Geordie accent, that mischievous Dick Dastardly snigger with it. Cheeky, yet always a little lovable.
Talk about those “Wacky Races”, Dick and his sidekick Muttley, who had a wicked laugh himself, only to always be “foiled again” leading to a “drat” or a “double drat" as they chased elusive victory.
Doomed Dick never won a race, despite endless cunning plans over a short two-year Hanna-Barbera series run, fictional to be sure, he was, and eventually was retired a maiden.
Ellison maybe a maiden too, the Melbourne Cup his “wacky race”, his stories of chasing it in vain the past two decades defy real script, any logic and most importantly luck, of the decent variety.
More than a double drat! How could we understand what makes him come back.
But so glad that he is. And nothing that Dastardly, Muttley or Racing Victorian Vets could deliver now, no!
So, Brian Elliston, almost two decades after he started an impossible dream, that became so often a nightmare, is on the verge with Onesmoothoperator turning another chapter that should be one of the Cup’s best stories. No matter what.
If only the horse and its journey remain smooth until at least 3pm Tuesday. Touch wood doesn’t help in these situations, touches of luck are longer overdue.
And why is Brian here and back again: It’s documented going back to 2005 (when Carte Diamonde impaled himself on a Flemington fence then a year after in 2006 being ruled out by RV vet on Cup eve.)
Bay Story came to keep him (Carte Diamond in recovery) and raced well in Australia but died qualifying for the Cup in front of the Flemington Derby Day crowd when looking the Hotham winner.
It took until 2011 when Saptapadi and Moyenne Corniche (who weren’t good enough) for Ellison to come back.
There was even 2022, when highly qualified Tashkhan, sold by owner Patrick Boyle to half interests in Australia for the Cup, didn’t even get here, when the Racing Victoria vets had another lean.
Why even last weekend Onesmothoperator was under Racing Victoria veterinary inspection, drawing short breaths and "not again" from the Ellison camp.
Enough to test Dick Dastardly? Not Brian.
So to why -let’s insert a little about the Phar Lap movie watched many times on DVD, Bart Cummings’ book, read numerously, John Williamson’s “True Blue”, a go to karaoke song, and a pinned map of favorite Victorian wineries, of social times enjoyed, and you get a sense of the real passion, and the extended family feel to this Cup ascent after so many aborts.
He might peel off a templated media query about why with - “the money” - then the Dastardly chuckle, but Ellison is an unashamed tragic Cup tragic.
He has asked for nothing but a horse to compete in it, has never pretended to be ahead of where he should. He’s always embraced the experience self-effacing in the bad times, but never cheer leading in possible better times like today. (But that’s not Tuesday, yet).
He’s, 72, is the second eldest of eight children of a Tyneside shipbuilder. His mother was a hospital cleaner. They were working class through and through.
Ellison wanted to be a footballer; reckons he was pretty good as a kid. He went to the career’s counsellor at John Marley High School, but squeezing out at only 145cm they said he was too small. Newcastle United never had him on the program – still sticks.
A jockey? “I went into racing at 15, couldn’t ride, first six months didn’t get a ride, didn’t ride out, did the dirty jobs,” he said.
‘I got a jumps licence, rode a winner about a year later, I had about 1000 rides, but always wanted to train, so started to train when I was 39 with three horses,” Ellison said.
Now Ellison trains from his magnificent Spring Cottage Stables at Malton in Yorkshire. It’s not Newmarket, it is Newcastle, and Ellison wouldn’t have it any other way.
"I don't know, I just remember watching the Phar Lap movie when I was a kid. I watched the race every year, I watch the biggest races and thought there was none bigger than the Melbourne Cup.
"And I read Bart Cumming’s book …. twice, and I don't read many books. It has just fascinated me," said Ellison, who has become a fan of John Williamson on previous trips and "True Blue" would be his karaoke standard.
Ellison remembers previous trips and friendships and experiences vividly, with his wife Claire, a black belt in mixed martial arts (as well as champion cook, favourite movie The Notebook!) if he gets a little out of hand.
"I remember snakes, kangaroos, f. king kangaroos and spiders, chopping wood in the middle of the night," he says.
And he remembers being offered to carry the colours of Phar Lap, the horse that started this chase, in the Cup with Carte Diamond when he didn't make it.
Ellison based himself at Denistoun Park (as well as Cape Schanck where he worked alongside Jim Conlan) on the Mornington Peninsula and recalls the opportunity.
"The woman who owned the house, (Barbara Saunders it was) either her dad or grandad was part of the Phar Lap story and asked if I'd like to run in the original colours. I thought why not, we needed all the help we could get but it wasn't to be," Ellison said.
"The thing about the Cup is that every man can win it. I will never win a Derby here, but if I get the right horse on the right day I can win the Cup, it's just hard to get the right horse."
A Geelong Cup win to confirm credentials and a chance alluding to Media Puzzle took the story from 100-1 dream to possibility and now $8 reality.
So, enter Patrick Boyle, who only met Ellison about seven years ago, a one-time small shareholder in horses, successful in construction, so now total owner of Onesmotheroperator and knocking back pesky last minutes offers to be partners, when all he wants is family and embracing Ellison’s dream.
“It’s a massive event and to be a part of event is just brilliant, it’s all a bit surreal,” he said.
Boyle has seconded family support to embrace Ellison’s explanation that “this is something special.”
With wife Andrea, their youngest son Keiron has been on the journey, but daughter Melissa (a schoolteacher) and partner Zak have lobbed, another son Daniel (and Abbie) are on arrival.
Boyle’s sister Teresea and partner Tony, along with the bloodstock agent that bought “Smoothie” for about “Smoothie” as a tried horse, David Appleton is there. Ashley Carr, owner of Carte Dimond is embracing the Smoothie Dream.
Ellison and Boyle, along with wives Claire and Andrea, have almost had a stronger preparation than “Smoothie”, with serious workout sessions at Melbourne’s Emerald Hotel in South Melbourne, where win or lose celebrations are locked into the “member’s area, Tuesday night.
Trips to Seymour races and catching up with Racing Victoria CEO Aaron Morrison, trips to the Melbourne Victory/City “Football” Derby, trips to Chris Symons’ “The Funky Farm” and finding out Chris rode Saptapadi in the 2011 Melbourne Cup before kissing a lizard.
Along with the ardours of the VRC Cup week that are required for those so keen to play.
That’s the usual Victoria Racing Club lead-ups into Tuesday, from morning suit events to familiar faces and "beef or chicken" events.
“It’s just amazing how big this just to be in it,” Ellison said, “almost overwhelming”, but wouldn’t miss it.
“It’s unreal, it’s a lifelong dream to win the Cup, it’s amazing to be in it, amazing to bring out a horse to run well in it, we’ll enjoy it.”
Which means a Onesmoothoperator win on Tuesday would see Brian Ellison and Patrick Boyle and the extended family back at The Emerald and “True Blue” as the song of choice (even Brian can read the subtitled words).
And what could be more Australian that than on the first Tuesday in November?
Not that dastardly or Wacky?
But so uniquely Australian, like The Cup, even a Geordie can dream to play and win.
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