Gordon Elliott on horse racing return: ‘I need to step up and prove I am not a monster’

Elliott revealed his friends, concerned about his mental health, drove him to meet IHRB senior medical officer Dr Jennifer Pugh at his lowest ebb

Gordon Elliott. Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

As he prepares to return to racing at the end of a six-month suspension imposed after the emergence of a photo of him sitting astride a dead horse, Gordon Elliott has revealed his gratitude for the way Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) senior medical officer Dr Jennifer Pugh supported him at his lowest ebb.

In an extensive interview with racingpost.com Elliott said the departure of top horses like Envoi Allen and Sir Gerhard was the lowest point of his high-profile fall from grace that left his friends worried about his mental health, concerns that led them to making contact with Pugh.