I started my road to National glory driving horse box to Perth.. now I can travel in helicopters and limousines
Racing’s newest superstar wants Scottish grand day out at Ayr in country that brought him fame
GORDON Elliott began coming to Scotland by driving his own horsebox across from Ireland.
Over a decade on, life has changed a little bit. Racing’s new superstar trainer can mix with the elite – because he’s one of them.
Elliott can travel by helicopter if he chooses, be chauffeur-driven if he wanted. Kick-back and enjoy the fruits of training more than 1000 winners. But that’s not his style.
From his County Meath background, he’s worked damn hard for every success he’s ever had – and he doesn’t forget where it all began either.
Twelve years ago at Perth, Elliott was a virtual unknown of the ranks – having graduated from being a journeyman jockey and serving his training apprenticeship at Martin Pipe’s yard – when he sent out Arresting to win at Scone Palace.
It was his first-ever winner and, from that moment, he began forging his reputation in Scotland. And it’s why now, as he prepares to fire Fagan at Scotland’s biggest race today, Elliott has a glint in his eye about winning at Ayr.
Now one of the kingpins of National Hunt racing, Elliott has landed this season’s Irish Grand National on home soil with General Principle and seven days ago, he won the Grand National at Aintree with Tiger Roll.
Both were special to him and so would winning Scotland’s version.
No trainer has ever won these three Nationals in the one season and it’ll almost bring his career full circle. Elliott said: “I’ve got to be honest, Scottish racing was great for me in my early days.
“I remember coming over in the beginning for my first few meetings. I used to drive the horse box myself back in the day. Thankfully I don’t have to do that any more and someone else does it but I appreciate what people do. Look, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
“I’ve had to work for everything I have now and that was part of the job back then. That’s the way it is and I wouldn’t change any of it.
“It’s that type of hard work and grounding which helps you get further. I trained my first winner at Perth and it was fantastic.
“Perth was fantastic and Sam Morshead ( former general manager at the track) was the backbone of the whole thing. The way he looked after people, they way he treated people. He was second to none and you find that at most of the Scottish tracks.
“What Sam did for Perth was unbelievable. He’s sadly missed and it’s a very special place to me.
“Going to Perth for the races was one of my first loves going racing and I’ll always try and have horses there or anywhere in Scotland if I
can. That first winner was a good day. Of course I’ll remember it. How could you not?
“Did I think that day that things were going to turn out the way they have done these years down the line? No, of course you wouldn’t.”
Elliott’s rise has been meteoric. The backing of powerful owner Michael O’Leary has helped.
But he was well on his way to the top before the Ryanair chief took his horses out of Willie Mullins’s yard and placed some of them with his challenger.
Elliott’s remarkable training skills have been illustrated perfectly by Tiger Roll – the tiny little horse winning three times at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival over the years before mastering the massive Aintree fences last week.
It’s that type of work which has given him a shot of taking down Mullins in the Irish trainers’ championship. Elliott said: “You put pressure on yourself. I’m in a very lucky position and I’ve got a lot of good horses and good owners.
“I’m privileged to be mentioned at the same time now as Willie.
“He is undoubtedly the best jumps trainer there has ever been. I would love to beat him some day. He sets the standard.
“If you had asked me five years ago, I would have said it will take me 10 years to beat Willie. But we are getting closer every year.”
Today’s showpiece at Ayr does not count for the Irish title.
But it’ll count in the heart as Fagan, owned by Scot Ronnie Bartlett, goes for glory with manof-the-moment Davy Russell, Tiger Roll’s Aintree jockey, on board.
Elliott said: “We would need some nice ground for Ronnie’s horse but sure it would be nice be nice to win the Scottish Grand National.
“It’s a famous race and winning it would be fantastic.”