'It would be nice to get some big owners in the yard - we even wrote to the Queen'
Brian Ellison tells Lewis Porteous about the most important win of his life and the perennial battle for better horses
It is more than two weeks since Brian Ellison achieved a long-held ambition to win the Northumberland Plate, so it says everything about the trainer's popularity that the congratulatory messages are still coming.
The son of a Tyneside shipbuilder who is mightily proud of his heritage in the north-east, Ellison is one of their own in Newcastle, which is why Onesmoothoperator's Plate success was celebrated like a resounding home win at St James' Park and will not be forgotten in a hurry.
"It's been unreal," says Ellison of the aftermath. "I went to Ripon the other day and all I did was shake hands with people and sign autographs. I've had loads of letters and I've never had a reception like it – it's been fantastic."
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inThe Big Read
Last updated
Copy- 'I've still got the fire in me' - why it will take more than a brush with death to stop Nicky Richards
- 'If things aren't quite right I'm amazed at how some people can start doubting you - and that hurts'
- 'It was the lowest I've ever been, struggling to see the light - and within a few months we've won the Champion Hurdle!'
- 'I'm not the fella at a football match who is roaring and shouting from the stands' - inside the mind of Barry Geraghty
- 'Don't think it was all plain sailing - there were times when I couldn't believe how stupid I had been'
- 'I've still got the fire in me' - why it will take more than a brush with death to stop Nicky Richards
- 'If things aren't quite right I'm amazed at how some people can start doubting you - and that hurts'
- 'It was the lowest I've ever been, struggling to see the light - and within a few months we've won the Champion Hurdle!'
- 'I'm not the fella at a football match who is roaring and shouting from the stands' - inside the mind of Barry Geraghty
- 'Don't think it was all plain sailing - there were times when I couldn't believe how stupid I had been'