'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
![Brian Ellison: enjoyed a memorable Northumberland Plate success with Onesmoothoperator](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com%2Fprod-media-racingpost%2Fprod%2Fimages%2F169_1008%2F45135f102e04-ellison-3.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
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
- 'I don't need to chase rides any more. I've been there, done that, and there comes a time when you've got to let go'
- 'It was for more than the craic. It was for the money' - 50 years on, the Gay Future gambling coup is no less extraordinary
- 'I was well connected and I've never made any bones about it - but that opportunity only takes you so far'
- 'I've been prepared to put my balls on the line. Sometimes things have worked out. Sometimes they haven't'
- 'I don't take any notice of the cancer, I just carry on. I'm not frightened. I was a jump jockey, wasn't I'
- 'I don't need to chase rides any more. I've been there, done that, and there comes a time when you've got to let go'
- 'It was for more than the craic. It was for the money' - 50 years on, the Gay Future gambling coup is no less extraordinary
- 'I was well connected and I've never made any bones about it - but that opportunity only takes you so far'
- 'I've been prepared to put my balls on the line. Sometimes things have worked out. Sometimes they haven't'
- 'I don't take any notice of the cancer, I just carry on. I'm not frightened. I was a jump jockey, wasn't I'