Gordon Elliott: ‘I am not going to dodge away from this’
File photo of Trainer Gordon Elliott
Gordon Elliott has received a 12-month ban from training, with the last six months suspended, it was revealed on Friday evening after a hearing of the Referrals Committee of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.
The committee convened this morning to investigate the image which circulated social media of Elliott sitting astride a dead horse on his gallops. Upon the consideration, the committee found that a suspension was merited “to reflect the seriousness of the offence and the damage to the Irish racing industry, to deter other offences of this nature.” In coming to the decision to remove Elliott’s licence for the period specified, the Committee acknowledged the impact the situation has already had and will continue to have on Elliott’s career.
Trial by social media has been in session ever since the image surfaced last Saturday. And long before this panel sat to consider official sanction, a number of significant decisions had been made by independent investors in the yard.
Cheveley Park, which has invested in the highest quality National Hunt stock and whose association with Elliott has yielded great success, made a decisive decision to remove its horses from the yard, while Betfair dropped him from his role as one of their ambassadors, and yard sponsors eComm Merchant Solutions also stepped away.
Given that the committee’s sanctions were imposed under a rule which deals with persons within the industry acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of horseracing in Ireland, it is notable that one of the considerations of the panel was the “outrage” which has been “expressed by the racing and non-racing public that a horse, albeit deceased, could be treated in this manner.” However, it noted that the “sanction to be visited upon Mr Elliott by this Committee is but one of a plethora of punishments which he is already suffering and will likely continue to suffer. These include serious damage to his reputation and, anecdotally, substantial economic loss through loss of business contracts and departure of horses from his yard to be trained elsewhere.”
It is indisputable that the image has brought the sport into the spotlight for the wrong reasons and has done damage which will take time to repair. The photograph, the panel stated, “shows the most appalling bad taste on the part of Mr. Elliott insofar as it demonstrates a complete absence of respect for the horse at a time when he still remains in his charge.”
Elliott has never challenged the veracity of the image, has taken full responsibly for his actions and fully cooperated with the investigation, all of which have aided the expediency of the process. In a statement released after the panel’s decision, he said that he fully accepted the decision of the committee and vowed to come back even stronger after the suspension has been served.
“I am in this situation by my own action and I am not going to dodge away from this,” Elliott said. “With my position in the sport I have great privileges and great responsibility. I did not live up to that responsibility.
“I am no longer the teenage boy who first rode a horse at Tony Martin’s 30 years ago. I am an adult with obligations and a position in a sport I have loved since I first saw horses race.
“I am paying a very heavy price for my error, but I have no complaints. It breaks my heart to see the hurt I have caused to my colleagues, family, friends, and supporters. I have a long road ahead of me, but I will serve my time and then build back better.” Denis Egan, CEO of the IHRB, also felt the case had been dealt with “fairly and appropriately,” but added “there are no winners, and in fact, the loss is to Irish racing with damage to the reputation of the sport.”
Egan added: “Ireland and its racehorse trainers, riders, breeders and workers are held in high regard globally providing some of the very best horses and the very best racing talent.
"We recognise the heartfelt upset that this matter has caused to people inside and outside of racing, none more so than to the staff employed by Mr Elliott. We also see at first hand both on the racecourse and as part of our stable inspection programme that horses receive unrivalled care, attention, and affection.”
Egan went on to reveal that, since the image surfaced, the IHRB carried out an unannounced inspection at Cullentra which “led to no concerns about the welfare of the horses in his care” and assured that the incident covered in the hearing was “not reflective of Irish racing.” Elliott’s suspension begins on Tuesday next, March 9, and it is expected that another licenced trainer will take over the mantle at Cullentra House until such time as Elliott’s suspension has been served.
A British Horseracing Authority statement confirmed that, provided the horses are transferred directly to other licensed trainers prior to March 9 they will be able to run at the upcoming Cheltenham and Aintree festivals.
