Gordon Elliott banned from racing horses in Britain two weeks before Cheltenham Festival amid probe into dead horse snap
GORDON ELLIOTT has been banned from racing horses in Britain amid the probe into his shocking dead horse photo. The British Horseracing Authority will not allow the three-time Grand National winner to saddle runners until the investigation is completed. Elliott, one of the top trainers in the sport, has been banned just two weeks before […]
GORDON ELLIOTT has been banned from racing horses in Britain amid the probe into his shocking dead horse photo.
The British Horseracing Authority will not allow the three-time Grand National winner to saddle runners until the investigation is completed.
Elliott, one of the top trainers in the sport, has been banned just two weeks before the start of Cheltenham Festival.
A BHA statement read: “The BHA, which regulates racing in Britain, will use powers under its own rules to refuse to allow horses trained by Mr Elliott to race in Britain pending consideration of the outcome of the Irish investigation.
“The action taken by the BHA recognises that Mr Elliott is licensed in Ireland, whose regulatory body, the IHRB, is carrying out its own investigation.
“However, 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.”
Speaking to the Racing Post, the trainer said: “It is indefensible. Whether alive or dead, the horse was entitled to dignity.
“A moment of madness that I am going to have to spend the rest of my life paying for and that my staff are suffering for.
“I will be punished, I fully understand that. But it absolutely breaks my heart to read and hear people say that I have no respect for my horses. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
I just hope people can understand how truly sorry I am and find some way to forgive me
Gordon Elliott
“My whole life has revolved around horses since I was a child. I know nothing else. Horses are all I have. I came from nothing and built a dream.
“When your world starts crumbling in front of you, it’s a scary place to be.
“I just hope people can understand how truly sorry I am and find some way to forgive me for what I have done.”
The BHA statement came just minutes after Elliott, 42, was criticised online for a post from his official Twitter account which celebrated his winners today.
Horses trained by Elliott won four races at Punchestown in Ireland but social media users blasted the timing of the message as the probe into the photo continued.
The BHA had previously labelled the image – which shows Elliott sitting on the body of a dead horse, phone in one hand and doing the peace symbol with another – as ‘appalling’.
Most read in Horse Racing
An earlier statement read: “The BHA is appalled by the image that appeared this weekend.
“We expect all those in our sport to demonstrate respect for horses, on the racecourse, in the training yard, on the gallops, and wherever they have horses in their care.
“People who work in our industry believe their values – of caring for and respecting our horses – have been deeply undermined by this behaviour.
“On their behalf, and on behalf of all horse-lovers, we say unequivocally that British horseracing finds this totally unacceptable.”
Elliott has been axed by bookies Betfair – but Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, who has horses including two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll with the trainer, said he will continue with his support.
In a statement, O’Leary, who owns the famed Gigginstown House Stud, said: “We accept that this photograph was a grievous but momentary lapse of judgement by Gordon, and not in keeping with our 15-year experience of his concern for and attention to the welfare of our horses.
“We all make mistakes, and what is important is that we learn from them and ensure we do not repeat them.
“We accept Gordon’s sincere, profound and unreserved apology and we will continue to support him and his team at Cullentra, as they work to recover from this deeply regrettable incident.”
SunSport columnist Matt Chapman summed up the mood of many when he said the photo was a moment of stupidity and that any ban Irish racing chiefs – the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board – impose must have a big impact.
While racing legend Mick Fitzgerald was reduced to tears when he spoke of the effect the shameful photo had on him.
The ban does not totally rule out Elliott – who has won more than £17.6million in the past five years alone – from saddling runners at the Festival, which starts on Tuesday March 16.
Envoi Allen, Tiger Roll and Zanahiyr are among the superstars trained by Elliott, from Co Meath in Ireland.
The BHA confirmed owners who have horses with Elliott can move them to another trainer.
A statement read: “Owners for horses currently trained by Mr Elliott are permitted to transfer them to a different trainer and run them at a British meeting, providing they comply with the relevant rules.”
Elliott apologised for the photo on Sunday and said he ‘wasn’t thinking’ when he sat on the horse.
He said: “The photo in question was taken some time ago and occurred after a horse had died of an apparent heart attack on the gallops.
“I appreciate that an initial viewing of this photo suggests it is a callous and staged photo but nothing could be further from the truth.
“At what was a sad time, which it is when any horse under my care passes away, my initial reaction was to get the body removed from where it was positioned.
“I was standing over the horse waiting to help with the removal of the body, in the course of which, to my memory I received a call and, without thinking, I sat down to take it.
“Hearing a shout from one of my team, I gestured to wait until I was finished. Such background information may seem trivial at this time and will not allay the concerns of many people both within and outside the world of horse racing.
“However, I feel it is important to provide people with some context surrounding this photo.”