Gordon Elliott

When the news came last week that award-winning racing journalist Chris Cook was moving on from The Guardian as the newspaper continued to reduce its staff, thoughts turned to a comment piece on how horseracing coverage in the mainstream media is continuing to slide. Come Monday morning, however, racing was all over the national news in Britain and Ireland, and not in a good way.  The distressing photograph of one of Ireland's leading National Hunt trainers apparently astride a dead horse had been widely circulated on Saturday evening and, like...

As the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) investigates the case of the photograph of Gordon Elliott sitting astride a dead horse on his gallops, racing authorities in Ireland and Britain expressed their dismay at the distressing image.  A statement released by Horseracing Ireland on Monday afternoon read, "Horse Racing Ireland unreservedly condemns the disturbing photograph that appeared on social media at the weekend. "This image does not reflect the care, attention and respect that racehorses receive, and does a disservice to the thousands of people who look after their horses...

Leading National Hunt trainer Gordon Elliott, the subject of a firestorm this weekend after a photo of him sitting on a dead horse was circulated over the weekend, admitted that the photo was genuine. Hours after saying he would cooperate with investigators without specifically addressing the validity of the photo, he relented and said that the photo was real. The photo shows Elliott sitting astride a stricken horse on the ground. In it, the trainer is making a peace sign. Some versions circulated have the caption "New work rider." His...

Three-time Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott is fully cooperating with the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB)'s inquiry into a disputed photo allegedly displaying Elliott sitting on a dead horse, the BBC reported on Sunday. The image, which some believe to be digitally altered, appears to show Elliott making a peace gesture while sitting on a dead horse lying on its side and captioned "new work rider". "I'm aware of a photo circulating on social media," the trainer tweeted late on Saturday night. "The IHRB have been in contact with me...

With restrictions surrounding race meetings continuing in Britain, the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale was relocated to Tattersalls HQ at Park Paddocks and it was a famous Newmarket name at the top of the buyers' list. Cheveley Park Stud, traditionally one of Britain's foremost owner-breeder operations on the Flat, has enjoyed increasing success with a clutch of well-selected jumpers in recent seasons, with the hugely exciting novice chaser Envoi Allen (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}) at the head of the group. Two new recruits were added to the team on Thursday in the...

Storm Of Light (Fr) (lot 255), a gelded 3-year-old son of Network (Ger), was one of six store horses to reach six figures during the opening session of the Goffs Land Rover Sale on Wednesday, and he topped trade when fetching €185,000 from Aidan O'Ryan and Gordon Elliott. That team partnered to take home three of the six six-figure lots, their haul also including lot 159, a gelded son of Kalanisi (Ire) for €135,000 and lot 216, a gelded son of No Risk At All (Fr) named Deja Rouge (Fr)...

The third and final session of Goffs UK's Summer Sale on Wednesday provided the sale's highlight when The Million In Mind Partnership's unbeaten hurdler Grand Roi (Fr) (Spanish Moon) (lot 318) fetched £400,000 from Aidan O'Ryan and trainer Gordon Elliott. The pricetag is the second-highest ever achieved from the annual Million In Mind reduction. Another pair of horses in training shared the day's second-highest price of £82,000: Fabrique En France (Fr) (Yeats {Ire}) (lot 340A), who was supplemented off a point-to-point second at Ballycahane on July 3 and bought by...

Irish trainer Gordon Elliott has become a shareholder of Virtual Software Limited, the firm behind Virtual Live Racing. Based on the Isle of Man, the firm is chaired by online betting pioneer and racehorse owner Vincent Caldwell. The VLR product is available to all tote systems in the US via distribution through AmTote International's Spectrum wagering system which enables tracks to accept wagers from players and create a brand new risk-free revenue system. "Vincent Caldwell and I have enjoyed winners for the last four seasons," said Elliott. "Vincent is passionate...

The latest instalment of Emma Berry's winter series on the crossover between the Flat and National Hunt scenes On Boxing Day, Epatante (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) followed the example of her stable-mate Verdana Blue (Ire) (Getaway {Ger}) by winning the G1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. Her five-length victory (with the previous year's winner back in fourth) came on the back of a similarly impressive win at Newbury in November and launched the 6-year-old mare to the head of the betting for the Unibet Champion Hurdle on Mar. 3....