Gordon Elliott needs latest controversy like a hole in the head with Cheltenham Festival on the horizon

Michael Verney

Trainer Gordon Elliott

February 08 2023 12:30 PM

The training career of Gordon Elliott has been nothing short of extraordinary, a tale of the outsider who came from left field and continues to cement himself as one of the finest to have ever taken out a licence.

Elliott shot to fame when landing the Aintree Grand National with the problematic Silver Birch in 2007, just 12 months after officially earning his papers as a trainer and without a winner in Ireland at that point.

That famous success was just an appetiser for what has followed for the Meath trainer, though, and he has shattered all kinds of equine barriers despite not hailing from a traditional racing background.

Equine careers are usually passed down through generations but Elliott's father worked as a panel beater – most of his family work in the car industry – while his mother was a housewife and he emerged from humble beginnings in Summerhill.

His only currency is winners having hit the 2,000-mark in record time last spring with further Aintree National success via Tiger Roll (2018-'19) and Gold Cup glory through Don Cossack (2016) among a highlight reel that few can rival.

It hasn't been all plain sailing along the way, however, with Elliott's career shuddering to a halt just under two years ago when a picture emerged of him sitting astride a dead horse on his gallops while fielding a phone call.

The fallout threatened his livelihood as he hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons with a six-month ban, as well as a €15,000 fine, following from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) while Denise 'Sneezy' Foster took the reins of his 200-strong yard.

Elliott retreated to the shadows with his sizeable string running under Foster's name at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival but he was still hands-on in everything to do with the yard despite staying away from all racecourses - he was free to attend meetings but chose not to - as he took his punishment on the chin.

For a man who lives for racing and thrives on the buzz of winners, it was a long and lonely six months but his journey to redemption commenced later that year as he was welcomed back with open arms by the Irish racing community.

September 11 is a date etched in history forever, but it holds even more significance for Elliott as a low-key flat card at Punchestown was the site of his second coming.

"To come back and see everyone in Irish racing, I've always had a good relationship with everyone and to go back racing like that and meet people, shake their hands, for people to welcome you back. That was very special," Elliott said last year.

"I knew everyone was going to be there, most of the journalists were going to be there. For the wrong reason they wanted to see me. I went to Sligo a few days later and people clapping you back into the parade ring was special."

His journey to redemption has been a largely positive one as he rebuilt his racing empire, and his reputation, having been vilified by many, particularly across the Irish Sea. But he has gone about his business efficiently, both on and off the track.

The last thing he wanted or needed was to be thrust into the spotlight for negative reasons but controversy reared its head again yesterday when it was confirmed that a horse in his care had tested positive for a banned substance at Cheltenham last March.

Elliott is before an independent disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) at 2pm today after a post-race sample taken from Zanahiyr following the Champion Hurdle was shown to contain the prohibited substance 3-hydroxylidocaine.

Zanahiyr, ridden by Jack Kennedy, finished third behind Honeysuckle in the hurling showpiece at the Cotswolds but now faces disqualification after testing positive for a prohibited substance which is a commonly used as a local anaesthetic agent with horses.

There are varying punishments facing Elliott depending on the level of culpability which is determined with a fine of potentially up to £5,000 on the low level whereas a high level of culpability could potentially lead to disqualification.

Visiting British racing media were on a whistle stop tour of Ireland yesterday having taken in the facilities at his Cullentra base and no sooner had they departed before word filtered through that Elliott would be in front of the BHA today.

With Cheltenham less than five weeks away, the 44-year-old needs this controversy like a hole in the head and his fortunes in this case will be followed closely given his brushes with authority in the past.

There have been plenty of highs and lows throughout Elliott's remarkable career but he'll be keen to ride out any storm, as he has in the past, and get back to doing what he does best - training winners.