Mechanic’s son mastered racing world against odds

GORDON Elliott galloped across the public conscience yesterday as everyone took their whips to the Irish horse-racing trainer, on social media, radio, TV and in print.

As the 2019 photo of Elliott sitting astride a dead horse – mobile phone in one hand, peace sign in the other – went global, the trainer retreated into the shadows.

His attempt to explain the circumstances of the photo, and to apply some context, were deafened as wails of criticism, some of it personal, showered onto him.

Close friends say he is floored by the fallout to a moment in time which will stalk him forever.

Elliott sent out three winners at Punchestown yesterday but kept away from the racecourse, and will probably be ordered to do so for some time, as a lengthy ban is imminent from Irish racing authorities. A ban for bringing the sport into disrepute is on its way and he’s braced for it.

It will hurt as racing has been his career, one he built up from nothing through sheer hard work and talent. His stables set-up at Cullentra, near Longwood in Co. Meath, is a world-class high-spec training facility where 200 horses are trained to compete at their peak, and where he oversees a large loyal staff.

The facilities are five-star and Elliott’s horses regularly win the award for ‘best turned out’ at meetings.

However, that counts for little today as Elliott finds himself as public enemy No 1 as a result of that photo – which has caused those within the industry, and horse-lovers worldwide, so much distress.

To some animal lovers, it’s akin to the big-game trophy hunter sitting astride his kill, only this horse had died of natural causes. It doesn’t matter, the optics are awful.

Elliott, who turns 43 today, is a mechanic’s son from Summerhill in Meath, who conquered the world of jump racing against all the odds.

He has won the world’s most famous race, the Grand National at Aintree on three occasions, twice with tiny Tiger Roll, the most popular horse in jump racing.

He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Don Cossack, his favourite horse, has had 32 winners at the Cheltenham Festival – where he was twice leading trainer – and saddled big-race winners among the toffs and top hats at Royal Ascot. Yet Elliott has become famous overnight, not for leading in a winning horse, but sitting on a dead one.

Elliott’s favourite song is Eye Of

The Tiger by Survivor, the lyrics of which are fitting for where he finds himself right now.

He’s odds-on to ‘do time’ in terms of a suspension. It’s all about going the distance and getting back on his feet, ‘Just a man, and a will to survive’.

He will need to call on the strength of purpose which has pointed him towards the summit of training horses to win.

In less than 15 years, he has come from nowhere into the elite of Irish trainers, many of whom have long family pedigrees in the game.

Elliott had nothing, no connections, no patronage, no money, only an inner drive and thirst for work.

As a kid, he wanted to be a top jockey first and a racing driver second. He loved Summerhill GAA club and the Meath footballers – local man Mick Lyons was his sporting idol. He joked that he became ‘too fat’ to be a success, but he was good enough to ride a winner at Cheltenham.

AS for motor racing, he remains fascinated by the sport, and would love to run a Formula 1 team. He said last year: ‘After watching a documentary [on F1] there are so many similarities with training horses as so much goes wrong!’

Elliott, who is single, likes to relax with a pint with his friends, usually in Longwood, but he also has the ‘Don Cossack Bar’ on site in Cullentra for special occasions.

He is consumed by winning races, big and small. Plotting and placing horses to win is what motivates him. Whether it’s a biggie at Punchestown or a modest affair in Perth across in Scotland, he derives satisfaction from getting a winner for his loyal owners.

His ambitions are simple: ‘To be champion trainer and to do the best for every one of my horses and owners. I lie in bed every night thinking of where I’m going to get my next winner or what went wrong with my last runner,’ he said in a recent interview.

Asked if he had one piece of advice for everyone during these worrying times of Covid-19, Elliott replied: ‘Stay safe, keep your distance and keep positive.’

It’s counsel he may well heed in the coming months until the fury of this damaging storm blows out.