Brian Ellison targets final meeting at York

Norton-based trainer Brian Ellison has enjoyed another season of high success – not least at York.

His Spring Cottage Stables has notched five winners on the Knavesmire in 2014 and he is set to chase fresh glories at the course’s final two-day meeting of the year, which starts on Friday.

With David O’Meara heading the race – on nine winners – to finish as York’s leading trainer, Ellison might just be too far back. But he has three declared on the opening day’s £100,000+ card and all would appear to have decent claims.

Indeed, one of his trio – Zeus Magic – landed a mile and a half handicap in early September at York and he will attempt to emulate that achievement over course and distance in the Parsonage Hotel and Cloisters Spa handicap. Ellison is positive about the four-year-old’s prospects, feeling he can bounce back from what looked a below-par effort last time at Catterick.

Ellison said: “Zeus Magic didn’t really act around Catterick. He has won around York, so we know he acts there. He will love the ground – the softer the better. He is working well, so there is no reason why he can’t run well.”

Cabelo, who tackles the Jigsaw Sports Branding Maiden Auction Stakes, progressed nicely on her third run when beaten just half a length into third at Newcastle. That was over seven furlongs and she is now asked to go up again in distance to a mile, which Ellison feels should be within her range.

He  commented, “The step up in trip last time to over seven furlongs improved her a lot. She looks like she will get a mile. I wouldn’t have thought soft ground would be a problem for her.”

His final runner at York on Friday will be recent Nottingham scorer, Mon Brav, who will line up as part of a full field of 20 in the Future Cleaning Services Apprentice race. Ellison observed, “Mon Brav has been a great servant, he won last time out and is fine.”

With Racy likely to contest the £75,000 Coral Sprint Trophy on Saturday, as well as a couple of other likely runners on the finale card, Ellison may be able to narrow the gap on O’Meara – or at least catch up with second-placed Richard Fahey, who has recorded six York victories in 2014.

Ellison said: “I’ll be trying, don’t worry - but it is hard to win at York! Everybody wants to have winners at York don’t they? It is probably one of the best tracks in the country.”

“It’s great for owners and trainers and the new facilities are grand. Everybody likes being there, whether you’re from down south or up north...anywhere.”

Ellison mustered 105 winners in the calendar year in 2013 and he is up to 80 – and very much still going – as we head into the final furlong of 2014. There have been several high-profile triumphs in there, not least Streets Of Newyork winning at the Dante Festival and Edge Of Sanity doing likewise at the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival.

“We can’t really complain,” said Ellison reflecting on another year in which the winners have flowed. “It is nice to reach 100 by December – that is what the aim is. We’ve had a few seconds lately, which is hard to bear but we’ve a good chance.”