Geelong Cup Onesmoothoperator | RACING.COM

English raider Onesmoothoperator made quick work of his Geelong Cup opponent on Wednesday, showing he can end his Yorkshire trainer Brian Ellison’s disappointing Melbourne Cup run.

Onesmoothoperator gave Craig Williams his sixth race win and the leading rings identified him as the galloper who could give him a second Melbourne Cup.

Onesmoothoperator ($11) beat Interpretation ($21) by two and a quarter lengths, with Muramasa ($7) a close third.

The Chris Waller-trained favorite Unusual Legacy was withdrawn from the early stages by Joao Moreira after breaking down, with Racing Victoria vets confirming the horse had a suspected soft tissue injury.

Sportsbet responded to operator Onesmooth’s hollow victory by slashing its price on the Melbourne Cup from $51 to $10.

WATCH: Onesmoothoperator wins Geelong Cup

Ellison has had a checkered history with the Melbourne Cup, particularly with his talented Cart Diamond dropping out in the lead-up to the race two years in a row, but that hasn’t stopped him from returning.

“You just have to keep your head down and keep checking. Everyone is unlucky. Either way, I know I have a good horse,” Ellison said.

WATCH: Listen to Ellison’s words after the race

In 2005, Cart Diamond crashed into a running track while being taken to Flemington to gallop, and 12 months later he was also scratched by vets ahead of the Melbourne Cup with a tendon injury.

Victory on Wednesday will make Ellison the third runner in the Melbourne Cup after Moyen Corniche and Saptapadi finished 15th and 16th respectively in the 2011 race.

Despite this, Allison could not have praised Onesmoothoperator owner Patrick Boyle’s Melbourne Cup merits more highly after he finished seventh at the Ebor at York, where he said he was too far behind.

“I said this time of year you should go to Australia; this is fantastic. This horse has a good chance if we get into the Cup; this is a good chance,” Ellison said.

“I think he’s well prepared to race this year and that’s all you could ever ask for. You’re looking for the best horse this year and he fits the bill well.

“The thing is that he holds up very well. He can handle hard trails, wins on soft trails and runs long distances.”

The Northern Hemisphere trained horses that won the Geelong Cup have produced excellent results in the Melbourne Cup this century, with Media Puzzle, Americain and Dunaden completing the double.

The Onesmoothoperator is 31st on the Melbourne Cup entry list but is likely to receive a weight penalty from wheel handicapper David Hegan.

Williams said it was great to gain insight into the stayer by winning the Geelong Cup with him.

“It’s all worked out really well and it’s been nice to see how he’s going to move forward, which is great. But most importantly, he won and it’s a great prep race, especially for international horses going to the Cup.” – said Williams.

WATCH: Williams Update After Win