Gordon Elliott
- Thread starter Bold Gait
- Start date
Larry
Stallion
I think it’s a fair punishment, 6 months may seem minimal but this will hang over him for the rest of his life, he will lose present owners & sponsors & will definitely lose future owners, you can bet that any time one of his horses wins a major festival race there will be as many boos as cheers, & his misdemeanour will be a stick to continually beat him with.
pete
Sire
I'm not sure it would ever have been possible to please all in this instance, I feel the ban is reasonable, though i would have prefered the full 12 months. His statement seems a little more understanding of the fuck-up and damage that he has caused and the long-term fallout and effects of this shitstorm will serve as additional ongoing punishment.
Happy ... no, not really, but as has been said by the committee, this is not a case of animal cruelty or welfare, its simply him being a complete, crass, first class tit. The damage to the sport as a whole will turn out to be much greater than the resulting punishment, but I'm not sure what other option the IHRB had, there was fundamentally no crime, there was no cruelty.
Happy ... no, not really, but as has been said by the committee, this is not a case of animal cruelty or welfare, its simply him being a complete, crass, first class tit. The damage to the sport as a whole will turn out to be much greater than the resulting punishment, but I'm not sure what other option the IHRB had, there was fundamentally no crime, there was no cruelty.
Pitmatic
Colt
I agree that it was always going to be difficult to satisfy everyone with the outcome and resultant sanction of this enquiry.
However, the real problem lies with the anti horse racing elements and investigative journalists - are they going to be satisfied with this outcome and just leave it there?
If we think the punishment is "adequate" then you can bet your boots that others will be far from happy and will see it as another reason to force horse racing into putting its house in order.
However, the real problem lies with the anti horse racing elements and investigative journalists - are they going to be satisfied with this outcome and just leave it there?
If we think the punishment is "adequate" then you can bet your boots that others will be far from happy and will see it as another reason to force horse racing into putting its house in order.
Pitmatic
Colt
An article in the Mail On Sunday today, discussing a potential reason behind someone bearing a grudge against Gordon Elliott and why a vendetta is being waged against him.
I've copied and pasted the article in order to avoid a photo of the stricken horse - which I don't want to promote by just linking the article.
Bit of a long read, but interesting....
"The mystery surrounding a sickening photograph of three-time Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott sat astride a dead horse deepened last night amid claims that a drug cartel leaked the image in a bid to ruin him.
The horse-racing star’s fall from grace took a dramatic turn on Friday night when a judge noted a ‘sinister aspect’ to the case as he handed the trainer a year’s ban from the sport, suspended for the final six months.
‘The Committee are satisfied that the publication of this photograph is part of a concerted attack upon Mr Elliott, the full circumstances of which are unknown,’ said Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB).
Today, The Mail on Sunday can reveal mounting suspicion that the ‘concerted attack’ was orchestrated by a criminal gang seeking to ruin Elliott over a long-running feud.
Sources allege the cartel released the image of Elliott sat on the body of seven-year-old gelding Morgan while chatting on his mobile phone in revenge for his refusal to work with John Boylan, a notorious criminal.
Boylan has 67 convictions and has been described by Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau as ‘a leading and directing member of an organised crime group based in the West Dublin area specifically involved in armed robbery and the sale and supply of controlled drugs’.
He was also the owner of Labaik, a racehorse stabled at Elliott’s yard in County Meath after being bought for £25,000. Boylan had a 90 per cent share in the animal and Elliott five per cent.
In its first three races, the horse refused to start but it then dramatically won the 2017 Supreme Novices Hurdle race at Cheltenham with Boylan photographed celebrating the victory and €147,447 (£127,000) winner’s cheque in the parade ring.
Coverage of Labaik’s unexpected win and Boylan’s celebrations drew the attention of the police who suspected the racehorse had been bought with money made from crime. Shortly afterwards, detectives swooped to seize Boylan’s financial documents, computers, a £30,000 Mercedes Benz E Class and a small quantity of drugs.
When they then learned that Boylan was planning to sell the horse for an estimated £430,000, the Criminal Assets Bureau blocked the sale. A month after the Cheltenham win, Labaik returned to the track at Punchestown in Ireland, but suffered a serious injury.
Following a lengthy inquiry, Ireland’s High Court ruled in October 2019 that Boylan had indeed purchased Labaik with the proceeds of crime along with a property in West Dublin refurbished at a cost of £540,000, a mobile home worth £28,000 and the Mercedes.
At that point, Elliott – who has had no involvement with any criminality nor any knowledge of Boylan’s illegal activities – refused to work any further with him nor train either the criminal’s horses or those of his associates.
Labaik remained at his yard, but Elliott announced in January that the nine-year-old grey had died from colic late last year.
‘It has been reported (on social media) that he sustained a cut to a leg and was put down, which wasn’t true. He wasn’t being ridden out and had been retired,’ he said.
According to sources, the feud rumbled along until last week when the photograph taken in 2019 of Elliott sitting on the body of Morgan was leaked.
‘It’s been said Gordon has had a big fall-out with Labaik’s owners because he’s refused to train their horses for them,’ said a well-informed source.
‘Among the racing fraternity it’s said that the gang, or people who are connected to them, are behind the leak.’
The theory of a co-ordinated attack on Elliott gained traction when footage also emerged of the trainer and friends enjoying drinking sessions at his yard. It was claimed that they were recorded during lockdown but Elliott insists it was filmed two years ago.
There were further lurid claims about an alleged party on Valentine’s Day where Elliott’s girlfriend Kate Harrington was said to have confronted a female stablehand about her friendship with the trainer.
Ms Harrington, a presenter on Racing TV, declined to comment on the claims, but said: ‘The last week has been tough for Gordon but I was proud to support him and was moved by how many people also were. He’s made a mistake and he is paying dearly for it.’
The events of the past week mark another extraordinary chapter in Elliott’s life, which has taken the son of a car mechanic from a small Irish village near Dublin to the winner’s enclosure of the world’s greatest steeplechase three times.
Elliott was 13 when he relieved his boredom one summer by helping to muck out stables close to his home. He quickly became hooked on horse racing, becoming an amateur jockey with almost 50 wins.
He took out a trainer’s licence in 2006 and the following year, aged just 29, won his first Grand National with the 33-1 outsider Silver Birch.
‘This is a dream come true... I’m certainly going to celebrate tonight,’ he said afterwards.
In 2018 and again in 2019 he won the National with Tiger Roll, the first horse since Red Rum to win the race twice.
After Elliott guided the horse to his first victory, its owner Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary astonished passengers on board a flight by handing out free drinks to celebrate the win.
O’Leary, whose horses represent about 40 per cent of those kept at Elliott’s yard, has remained steadfastly loyal. ‘We all make mistakes, and what is important is we learn from them and ensure we do not repeat them,’ he said last week.
Mr Elliott appears to be intent on making a return to the sport. ‘I will serve my time and then build back better,’ he said last Friday.
Some believe, however, that the die is cast. ‘People were walking around the yard this week in tears. Horses were taken out of there on Tuesday and the girls were crying,’ said a source who has spoken to several staff at the stables.
‘They’re closing ranks around him but there’s a feeling in the wider industry that it’s too late.’"
I've copied and pasted the article in order to avoid a photo of the stricken horse - which I don't want to promote by just linking the article.
Bit of a long read, but interesting....
"The mystery surrounding a sickening photograph of three-time Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott sat astride a dead horse deepened last night amid claims that a drug cartel leaked the image in a bid to ruin him.
The horse-racing star’s fall from grace took a dramatic turn on Friday night when a judge noted a ‘sinister aspect’ to the case as he handed the trainer a year’s ban from the sport, suspended for the final six months.
‘The Committee are satisfied that the publication of this photograph is part of a concerted attack upon Mr Elliott, the full circumstances of which are unknown,’ said Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB).
Today, The Mail on Sunday can reveal mounting suspicion that the ‘concerted attack’ was orchestrated by a criminal gang seeking to ruin Elliott over a long-running feud.
Sources allege the cartel released the image of Elliott sat on the body of seven-year-old gelding Morgan while chatting on his mobile phone in revenge for his refusal to work with John Boylan, a notorious criminal.
Boylan has 67 convictions and has been described by Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau as ‘a leading and directing member of an organised crime group based in the West Dublin area specifically involved in armed robbery and the sale and supply of controlled drugs’.
He was also the owner of Labaik, a racehorse stabled at Elliott’s yard in County Meath after being bought for £25,000. Boylan had a 90 per cent share in the animal and Elliott five per cent.
In its first three races, the horse refused to start but it then dramatically won the 2017 Supreme Novices Hurdle race at Cheltenham with Boylan photographed celebrating the victory and €147,447 (£127,000) winner’s cheque in the parade ring.
Coverage of Labaik’s unexpected win and Boylan’s celebrations drew the attention of the police who suspected the racehorse had been bought with money made from crime. Shortly afterwards, detectives swooped to seize Boylan’s financial documents, computers, a £30,000 Mercedes Benz E Class and a small quantity of drugs.
When they then learned that Boylan was planning to sell the horse for an estimated £430,000, the Criminal Assets Bureau blocked the sale. A month after the Cheltenham win, Labaik returned to the track at Punchestown in Ireland, but suffered a serious injury.
Following a lengthy inquiry, Ireland’s High Court ruled in October 2019 that Boylan had indeed purchased Labaik with the proceeds of crime along with a property in West Dublin refurbished at a cost of £540,000, a mobile home worth £28,000 and the Mercedes.
At that point, Elliott – who has had no involvement with any criminality nor any knowledge of Boylan’s illegal activities – refused to work any further with him nor train either the criminal’s horses or those of his associates.
Labaik remained at his yard, but Elliott announced in January that the nine-year-old grey had died from colic late last year.
‘It has been reported (on social media) that he sustained a cut to a leg and was put down, which wasn’t true. He wasn’t being ridden out and had been retired,’ he said.
According to sources, the feud rumbled along until last week when the photograph taken in 2019 of Elliott sitting on the body of Morgan was leaked.
‘It’s been said Gordon has had a big fall-out with Labaik’s owners because he’s refused to train their horses for them,’ said a well-informed source.
‘Among the racing fraternity it’s said that the gang, or people who are connected to them, are behind the leak.’
The theory of a co-ordinated attack on Elliott gained traction when footage also emerged of the trainer and friends enjoying drinking sessions at his yard. It was claimed that they were recorded during lockdown but Elliott insists it was filmed two years ago.
There were further lurid claims about an alleged party on Valentine’s Day where Elliott’s girlfriend Kate Harrington was said to have confronted a female stablehand about her friendship with the trainer.
Ms Harrington, a presenter on Racing TV, declined to comment on the claims, but said: ‘The last week has been tough for Gordon but I was proud to support him and was moved by how many people also were. He’s made a mistake and he is paying dearly for it.’
The events of the past week mark another extraordinary chapter in Elliott’s life, which has taken the son of a car mechanic from a small Irish village near Dublin to the winner’s enclosure of the world’s greatest steeplechase three times.
Elliott was 13 when he relieved his boredom one summer by helping to muck out stables close to his home. He quickly became hooked on horse racing, becoming an amateur jockey with almost 50 wins.
He took out a trainer’s licence in 2006 and the following year, aged just 29, won his first Grand National with the 33-1 outsider Silver Birch.
‘This is a dream come true... I’m certainly going to celebrate tonight,’ he said afterwards.
In 2018 and again in 2019 he won the National with Tiger Roll, the first horse since Red Rum to win the race twice.
After Elliott guided the horse to his first victory, its owner Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary astonished passengers on board a flight by handing out free drinks to celebrate the win.
O’Leary, whose horses represent about 40 per cent of those kept at Elliott’s yard, has remained steadfastly loyal. ‘We all make mistakes, and what is important is we learn from them and ensure we do not repeat them,’ he said last week.
Mr Elliott appears to be intent on making a return to the sport. ‘I will serve my time and then build back better,’ he said last Friday.
Some believe, however, that the die is cast. ‘People were walking around the yard this week in tears. Horses were taken out of there on Tuesday and the girls were crying,’ said a source who has spoken to several staff at the stables.
‘They’re closing ranks around him but there’s a feeling in the wider industry that it’s too late.’"
markfinn
Sire
Going to run and run - the above reads like Irish newspapers and not a reflection of general Irish society , but they do have a problem ( as most countries do) of gang crime and money laundering - nothing new - where there is ready cash there is crime. I dont know if their papers are more investigative or that crime is more prevalent there . Drugs and the profits derivide from the sale of , invade all our lifes. Lets hope some good comes of this disaster - but cannot see it. Makes me very wary of the future will bring.
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mick
Sire
I read that a PR firm has become involved ( perhaps one already on retainer with one of his wealthy owners ) and Re the Criminal vendetta Elliott obviously knew the photo had been taken so even allowing for his claimed moment of madness why did he not then realize just how wrong his actions where and seek its deletion. ? Not to have done so suggests that after as well as during he did not think it was any big deal. Will we now be reading that in fact he was " set up ".
During the past few days we have read plenty of testimony Re how well his horses are treated and i feel sure this is true but those concerned are conveniently missing the point.! In terms of his official punishment i think he got off light and that this will prove a mistake. I note
Pitmatic above says he does not want to look at that photo again and me too, but now in the public domain it is not going away for a long time to come and many innocents who work with horses will now be tarred with the same brush.
During the past few days we have read plenty of testimony Re how well his horses are treated and i feel sure this is true but those concerned are conveniently missing the point.! In terms of his official punishment i think he got off light and that this will prove a mistake. I note
Pitmatic above says he does not want to look at that photo again and me too, but now in the public domain it is not going away for a long time to come and many innocents who work with horses will now be tarred with the same brush.
markfinn
Sire
The photo us now public record and no amount of white wash will cover it over - the suspension was to lenient. But there are others , the BHA have set the precedent of leniency - dont know why , when some proper action would send the message that outdated thinking and practices will not be tolerated , which would be greeted with much public approval.I read that a PR firm has become involved ( perhaps one already on retainer with one of his wealthy owners ) and Re the Criminal vendetta Elliott obviously knew the photo had been taken so even allowing for his claimed moment of madness why did he not then realize just how wrong his actions where and seek its deletion. ? Not to have done so suggests that after as well as during he did not think it was any big deal. Will we now be reading that in fact he was " set up ".
During the past few days we have read plenty of testimony Re how well his horses are treated and i feel sure this is true but those concerned are conveniently missing the point.! In terms of his official punishment i think he got off light and that this will prove a mistake. I note
Why not let it be?
More fuss, the worse will be the consequences.
Many people in Ireland knew about the Labaik affair.
Folks screaming and harping on about one dead horse are just playing into the hands of all the haters by fuelling their fire .
Those of us who gamble on horseracing are already outnumbered. We cannot afford to give active enemies a helping hand.
More fuss, the worse will be the consequences.
Many people in Ireland knew about the Labaik affair.
Folks screaming and harping on about one dead horse are just playing into the hands of all the haters by fuelling their fire .
Those of us who gamble on horseracing are already outnumbered. We cannot afford to give active enemies a helping hand.
mick
Sire
I think to some extent your correct and having said my piece i shall now be attempting to do so, but the point i was making is the non racing media are not going to let it be, and Re the rest of your post many of those " screaming and harping " will be punters as am i.
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mlmrob
Sire
Someone else will not let this be. If were dealing with a world where violence is second nature who knows where it will end.
The only way for Horseracing to regain some face, if it has any left with Joe Public, is for a female jockey to win the Grand National which hopefully will be bigger news.
The only way for Horseracing to regain some face, if it has any left with Joe Public, is for a female jockey to win the Grand National which hopefully will be bigger news.
Pitmatic
Colt
I don't see anyone at all "screaming" about a dead horse on here - we've had a very sensible discussion relating to the longer term damage of this sorry affair.
I agree totally that Elliott got off very lightly and the fact that he was pictured sitting astride a dead horse says a lot about how he is prepared to go about his day to day business.
Incidentally, I came across the Court documents relating to the seizure of Boylan's assets online last night - Gordon Elliott was described by the judge as being " a truthful witness and a candid witness" within those documents.
It doesn't really matter how much further (or not) we discuss the rights and wrongs of this situation, as it isn't our discussion on here that will do the damage - you can hear it now on the mainstream national TV coverage, when the comment is made that a particular horse was formerly / continues to be trained by the "disgraced" trainer Gordon Elliott.
Link to Court documents for those who may be interested, and are prepared to waste half an hour of their lives.......
www.casemine.com
I agree totally that Elliott got off very lightly and the fact that he was pictured sitting astride a dead horse says a lot about how he is prepared to go about his day to day business.
Incidentally, I came across the Court documents relating to the seizure of Boylan's assets online last night - Gordon Elliott was described by the judge as being " a truthful witness and a candid witness" within those documents.
It doesn't really matter how much further (or not) we discuss the rights and wrongs of this situation, as it isn't our discussion on here that will do the damage - you can hear it now on the mainstream national TV coverage, when the comment is made that a particular horse was formerly / continues to be trained by the "disgraced" trainer Gordon Elliott.
Link to Court documents for those who may be interested, and are prepared to waste half an hour of their lives.......
CAB v Power (AKA Boylan) & anor | [2019] IEHC 753 | High Court of Ireland | Judgment | Law | CaseMine
Get free access to the complete judgment in CAB v Power (AKA Boylan) & anor on CaseMine.
markfinn
Sire
Open AccessArticle
The Impact of COVID-19 on Staff Working Practices in UK Horseracing
by
Emma Davies1,*,
Will McConn-Palfreyman2,
Jane M. Williams1
andGeoff P. Lovell3,4
In previous years, the social demand for strict welfare standards in horse racing has led to a culture of ‘putting the horse first’ [15]. These priorities resulted in an industry which has some of the highest welfare standards in the equestrian sector, has continuously worked to promote scientific evidence-based training and welfare principles and upskills staff to maintain those standards [1]. However, the ‘horse-first’ culture may have inadvertently created a workforce who deprioritise their own health and well-being to care for the horse, which has been previously reported in other animal care sectors [16]. Employees who ignore their own health needs may result in higher levels of stress, increasing the risk of occupational injury or disease, impacting the efficiency of a workforce already under high demand [17,18]. Issues of poor horse welfare can arise when training staff are not as engaged and connected emotionally to the horses that they are caring for [19], which may result from a high level of physical and mental fatigue, impacting the ability to maintain the high standards required when working with racehorses.
For further reading - check out The Black Horse Inside Coolmore