Magpie’s love for a Mackem!

Reporter HE’S been a Magpie all his life - but now he’s backing a Mackem.

Geordie horse trainer Brian Ellison has loved Newcastle United since he was a lad growing up in the city.

The son of a Tyneside ship builder, he’d hoped to one day play at St James’ Park himself, but standing just 4ft 9ins, he soon realised his talents lay in horse racing, becoming a jockey and, later, a highly successful horse trainer.

Now Brian, 66, is finding huge success with a horse he’d probably be unlikely to bet on if he came across it on a casual day at the races. Her name? Mackem Bullet.

The horse, which has recently been racing in the USA, made it all the way to the Breeders’ Cup in Kentucky on Friday, a prestigious million-dollar race.

And Mackem Bullet rose to the occasion, coming sixth in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile fillies race.

She’s caused something of a stir in the racing pages, having followed an impressive trajectory from being purchased for just £9,000 as a yearling.

Brian explained: “Her previous owner was a big Sunderland man - he bought her and then she came to me.

“I’ve trained over 12,000 horses - and Mackem Bullet is on of the best Mackem Bullet trained by Geordie trainer Brian Ellison with his head girl Laura Wilson ones I’ve ever had.”

Brian said he sometimes gets raised eyebrows over the name - but he’s not ashamed to be cheering this Mackem on.

He still loves Newcastle United though, although he acknowledged “we’re not very good at the moment.”