Northern Spirit

Brian Ellison trains Northern Spirit out of his Norton yard in North Yorkshire, and the partnership has been productive in a low-key way. Ellison's yard has sent out 47 winners already this season, which tells you this is a busy, functioning operation with horses in form. Northern Spirit is a homebred, which adds a layer of personal investment — Ellison has said he was only the second horse he'd bred himself, and the first "wasn't too great." That makes every win feel like vindication.

The horse's most regular rider is Ben Robinson, who has been aboard for 31 of those 43 races and accounts for 6 of the 7 wins — a win rate of 19%, or roughly 1 in every 5 rides together. That's a notably better return than the overall career average, which suggests the partnership brings something out in Northern Spirit. At Class 4, the level where he competes most often, he's won 3 from 20 — 15%, or 1 in every 7. That's a workmanlike rather than dominant record at that level, but enough to keep him competitive.

The most recent win came at Newcastle in August 2025, now eight months ago, and the last six runs have produced a sixth, two non-completions, a fifth, a seventh, and a third — no wins, but no disasters either. He raced just yesterday, which means he's very much in active training and Ellison is keeping him busy. The trainer has spoken about stepping Northern Spirit up to seven furlongs, noting he settles better now than he used to, which hints that there may still be a slightly better horse to come if the trip suits.

Newcastle appears to be a happy hunting ground — his first and most recent wins both came there. For a horse that started life as a homebred with modest expectations, seven wins and a career still in progress at six is a solid enough story.