GORD AND MASTER
Gold Cup-winning trainer hails ‘genius’ Pipe for putting him on road to glory
COME Friday of the Festival, the Gold Cup won’t be the only race on Gordon Elliott’s mind.
The Co Meath trainer will saddle fancied runners in both the Triumph Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, while Outlander bids to emulate retired stablemate Don Cossack by winning the big one.
But it’s the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle – ante-post favourite The Storyteller is absent but Elliott boasts a strong squad headed by Runfordave – that’s high on his wishlist.
“We’ve been placed in it a couple of years and it’s a race I would love to win more than most,” confides the 39-year-old.
In between times with Tony Martin, based 10 miles or so from his Cullentra House stables in Longwood, Elliott spent two years at Pond House in Devon, where Pipe built the National Hunt powerbase that delivered 15 trainers’ championships.
“I spent some time over there and he’s an amazing man – he brought it all to a different level,” says Elliott, the former point-to-point rider who rode Pipe’s Iris Bleu to land the amateur riders’ handicap chase at Cheltenham in November 2002.
“I worked for Tony Martin as well and between the two of them I would have learned all I know.
“Martin Pipe is a genius and has been a big influence on me. I learned to keep my eyes open and my mouth shut!”
An education money can’t buy. And schooling not lost on Elliott, barely a year with a licence when saddling Silver Birch to triumph in the 2007 Grand National – before he had even had a winner in his homeland.
Chicago Grey’s National Hunt Chase victory in 2010 was Elliott’s first at the Cheltenham Festival and he purchased the 78-acre farm at Cullentra House the following year.
Elliott’s stock was on the rise and Michael O’Leary’s ubiquitous Gigginstown House Stud came aboard.
O’Leary’s relations with his trainers are prone to fracture – Martin, Sandra Hughes and, sensationally, Willie Mullins have all been hired and fired by the Ryanair boss, advised by brother Eddie.
“Of course we have our disagreements – they’d have an opinion, I’d have an opinion,” admits Elliott. “But I’ve never had any problems with them.
“They’ve given us a lot of support and a lot of good horses. I don’t think I need to say any more!” O’Leary’s investment in Elliott yielded an instant dividend with Carlito Brigante’s 2011 Coral Cup win. Tiger Roll captured the Triumph Hurdle three years later.
At a Cheltenham of emotion 12 months ago, the pair lost No More Heroes to a severed tendon in the RSA Chase 48 hours before Don Cossack gave Elliott his first – and O’Leary his second – Gold Cup.
The triumph proved to be the gelding’s last racecourse appearance – tendon damage forced retirement in January.
“He won a Gold Cup and he retired a champion,” reflects Elliott, also successful last March with Diamond King (Coral Cup) and Cause Of Causes (Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup). “We’ll have to try and find another one like him.” He’s well armed for the search.
Cullentra House – “there were only a few sheds when I bought it, we’ve built everything from scratch” – can now stable 170 thoroughbreds, with four gallops and an equine swimming pool.
“We’re looking to improve the whole time,” adds Elliott. “Every year I say I’m done, but I’m like a child – when I see a new toy I want it.
“Thankfully, it’s working out and we’re getting results.”
Those results have taken Elliott to the brink of the Irish trainers’ title – he is now the 2-5 favourite to break Willie Mullins’ grip on the title.
“Of course you think about it – I won’t tell you a lie – but if it happens, it happens,” he adds, with scarcely credible understatement.
“We have to give it a rattle if we’ve got a chance. The Irish National will have a massive part to play in it – I think I’ve got 28 entered!”
Mullins will be harder to dethrone at Cheltenham, where he has been top trainer for five of the past six Festivals.
But Elliott’s 30-strong squad has several possibilities. Death Duty is favourite for Friday’s Albert Bartlett, and Mega Fortune is in demand by punters for the Triumph Hurdle that opens the final card.
“Going over last year Don Cossack was favourite for the Gold Cup, but on numbers we have a lot more fancied ones.
“We had three winners last year and it will be hard to beat it, but we have plenty of chances – we’ve got a good enough bunch.”