Tommy Lyons: Gordon Elliott paying a price, but full cost yet to be disclosed

The British Horseracing Authority has taken a firm stand by announcing its intention to refuse to allow Gordon Elliott have runners in Britain pending the outcome of the investigation by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

What a sorry state of affairs for the sport and industry of horse racing that, a fortnight from the Cheltenham Festival — the greatest show in National Hunt racing — the focus is on a picture of a leading trainer which circulated on social media over the weekend.

In this age of social media, when a picture paints a thousand words it is likely that 99% of those words skew the truth, but there is no denying the image of Gordon Elliott sitting astride a dead horse is lamentable and, above all, indefensible.