Huge family involvement in young trainer’s first winner

Twenty seven year old New Plymouth trainer Brodie Ellis got on the board today, scoring his first win at the Kapiti Coast Harness Racing Club’s meeting at Otaki.

“It was a long time coming (laughter),” Ellis said after the win of much travelled trotting mare Cool Phelan (Pegasus Spur).

The nine year old is owned Brodie, his twin brother Costa, their father Kelvin Ellis, Brodies grandmother Lesley Chittenden, his mother Claire Prestidge, Bruce Hicks, Caroline Westlake, Brendan and Mel Fleming and their son, Mason.

His uncle the late Keith Chittenden trained 42 winners over the twenty years he held a license. His best two horses were trotters Aholics Born To Trot, (5 wins) and Sunwise (6 wins).

“I started off going down to his place at the weekends. My grandmother would take me down and I caught the bug.”

Ellis is Cool Phelan’s fifth trainer. The trotting mare commenced her career with Canterbury trainer Tony Barron before heading to Brett Gray’s Ryal Bush barn. She then headed north to be trained by Derek Balles before being tried by Andrew Sharpe.

“We bought her off Gavelhouse for $600. It’s a purchase that’s turned out to be pretty good. She’s run a couple of placings and has had a couple of unlucky runs. She’s had a few cheques for me in just nine starts, which has been awesome.”

After stepping well driver Dylan Ferguson took Cool Phelan straight to the top, getting her into a good rhythm and putting a fair margin of all her rivals.

“She’ll go all day. If she’s in front she’ll keep running. The reason I put her in that race was so she could be off the front and she didn’t have to chase off 30 metres which is what she’s been doing lately. The idea was to step away and keep going and Dylan is the right driver for that.”

Although she was running on empty at the finish, Cool Phelan had a three and a quarter length margin on Quercus Rubra.

“She probably would have kept going if something had come up to challenge her. She’s a good little trier that’s for sure.”

COOL PHELAN REPLAY

Ellis says the quiet no pressure stable life at Bell Block in the Taranaki seems to suit the mare.

“It’s a private training track that Phillip Macey owns. His Dad was Bryan Macey (of Homin Hosed and Prime Power fame). It’s got a 705 metre track, a nice little barn and there’s just me there, so it’s perfect. I’ve done a couple of maintenance things on her and just potter around. I haven’t worked her too hard. I’ve just worked her the way she wants and she seems to be thriving. I take her down to Hawera and give her a run on the grass every now and then.”

Ellis has only three or four horses in work at any one time.

“I start at 5.30 in the morning to get the horses done, then I run my own vehicle valet business. I do that during the day then it’s back to the horses at night. My twin brother (Costa) is a big part of it as well. He comes in and helps before he goes to work.”

Brodie is also excited about Buynowpaylater, a Creatine trotting mare who’s the first foal out of two win mare Noble Mistress.

“I sent her up to Dylan’s for a while and she went from a horse that knew nothing to one that was going quite nicely. She’s having a spell now but we’re quite excited about bringing her back.”

Whatsittooyah is a filly he has hopes for.. She’s a two year old by Always B Miki out of the Black Watch family.
“She broke in nicely and I’ve got a bit of time for her.”

Todays win is undoubtedly special for the Ellis family.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink