Ellis flying the flag for grassroots harness racing

Taranaki horseman Brodie Ellis may not have a barn full of Group 1 stars, but he represents the beating heart of New Zealand harness racing – the grassroots participants who keep the industry alive.

Tonight at Cambridge Raceway, the dedicated trainer lines up two of his stable favourites, Cool Phelan and Ordained, both stepping out fresh from a spell in the Join Us For Xmas At Cambridge Raceway Trot (6.28pm).

Racing has always been in Ellis’s blood. He was introduced to the sport by a stalwart of harness racing in the Manawatu.

“My uncle was Keith Chittenden, so I grew up going down to his barn every weekend and then went on to do Kidz Kartz,” Ellis said.

Chittenden trained 42 winners during a career that spanned four decades, from 1977 to 2017, before his passing in 2017. Widely respected in the lower North Island racing community, Keith was also instrumental in starting Taranaki Kidz Kartz.

Ellis is steadily building his own path from his Taranaki base, where he trains a small but determined team of five horses.

Tonight, he will make the trip north to Cambridge with a double-hand in the same event. Both of his runners, Cool Phelan and Ordained, are returning after spells, and while Ellis isn’t expecting miracles first-up, he’s confident both are forward enough to be competitive.

Harrison Orange will take the reins of Ordained, and although the son of Father Patrick hasn’t been sighted since July, Ellis has been pleased with his progress leading into tonight’s assignment.

“He’s worked up good, he’s definitely been keeping me on my toes the last couple of weeks and is ready to race,” Ellis said, “he’ll step and put himself handy, and I definitely think he’s capable of coming in the top three.”

Cool Phelan, meanwhile, is the veteran of the pair, a nine-year-old daughter of Pegasus Spur who will be partnered by Peter Ferguson. She last raced in June and is being carefully prepared for a summer campaign on the grass tracks.

“She’s a typical mare, her work has been good too, but she’ll be going in foal next month and we’ll really be aiming at the grass tracks with her,” Ellis explained. “Tonight, I’d like to see her settle on the pegs and have a quiet first run back.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Jordyn Bublitz for Harness Racing New Zealand