Brian Ellison horses to follow on the Flat for 2024 season
Malton trainer Brian Ellison highlights five of his horses it should be worth following throughout the 2024 campaign.
ONESMOOTHOPERATOR
"He's a solid horse and runs at Southwell on Sunday. The Northumberland Plate is a race I'd still love to win and if it's riding fast on that surface up at Newcastle then that might suit him. It can ride quite differently there, depending on the conditions. But on turf he needs fast ground really.
"He's a proper 90-horse and he finds his level, it's not a bad race at Southwell this weekend by the looks of it so we'll see how he goes. He won the November Handicap when switched to Newcastle last year due to Doncaster being off and that strong gallop really helps him. He's fine over a mile and a half or two miles."
CHILLHI
"He'd been off a while with a bad back - he was suffering from 'kissing spines' and was operated on - but had a run at Southwell earlier in April and he's likely to return to Chester where he ran well last year. Hopefully the comeback has put him right for that race. He's on a good mark and was just struggling all last season.
"It's never easy for three-year-olds like him anyway, having run in good races at two. He ran in the Acomb Stakes at York and only beat one home but it did turn out to be last year's champion sprinter Shaquille! And the Guineas winner Chaldean won that day so I'd say it was a good Acomb."
TRYFAN
"Tryfan is a nice horse and although he didn't make much impact at Beverley on Thursday, he was restless in the stalls and it's just something we'll be working on with him. He doesn't seem to like them at the moment but he'll settle down I'm sure and prove to be a nice three-year-old.
"He's by Nathaniel and will stay middle-distances on any ground with a bit of luck. He might even turn out to be more of a stayer. When he puts it all together he'll be alright."
LAAFY
"Laafy is one we've acquired quite recently at the sales and he hasn't run for a long time but he's sound and working well. Mark Campion who trains nearby actually bought this horse from Sir Michael Stoute's but wasn't able to run him for whatever reason.
"He's rated 100 and has won an Ascot handicap off 101 so hopefully we could have some fun with him on the Flat before he goes hurdling. He might even be another one we look to give an entry in the Plate at Newcastle."
BUTTERFLY JASMINE
"She's a nice two-year-old and won first time out in a fillies' maiden at Newcastle last month. She'll be aimed towards the Trophy at Redcar at the end of the season but will have a couple of runs before that. She's a daughter of Havana Gold, a very good sire, and is a homebred."
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