Elliott hit by British ban

40-strong team to the Cheltenham Festival, which starts a fortnight today.

But his plans are in the balance as he cannot have runners in the UK until the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has finished its probe.

The British Horseracing Authority said last night: “Mr Elliott has entered horses to race in Britain, from which point the British Rules of Racing apply to him.

“The decision to refuse to allow horses trained by Mr Elliott to run in Britain is therefore an interim decision which the BHA regards as proportionate in these circumstances.”

Elliott, famed for his handling of Tiger Roll, is also training the horse for a bid to win a historic third Grand National in April.

Racing fans condemned Elliott after he admitted the image of him on the dead horse on his Co Meath gallops was real. It showed him on his mobile phone and giving a peace sign.

The horse had apparently suffered a heart attack.

Elliott apologised on Sunday but he has been sacked as an ambassador by Betfair – although his biggest owner Michael O’leary has vowed to stick by him.

FRANCE coach Fabien Galthie broke lockdown rules before contracting coronavirus ahead of last weekend’s postponed Scotland match.

Galthie left the bubble to watch his son play a game, after France’s opening clash against Italy, before returning to camp, French rugby boss Bernard Laporte confirmed.

Laporte said: “For me, he has the right to leave from the moment he is masked. He was outside and masked. I don’t see where the problem could be. But then again, I’m not a doctor.”

It has also been reported that several French players left the bubble to visit a restaurant in Rome ahead of the match. Sixteen members of the squad and staff then contracted the virus.

1 Western Australia, 2 Arsenal, 3 Keiron Cunningham, 4 Dom Sibley, 5 Patrick Reed.