Trainer Gordon Elliott suspended from British races over photo of him sitting on dead horse

Three-time Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott will not be allowed to enter horses into races in Britain until an Irish investigation is concluded.

The probe is looking into an image on social media showing him sitting on a horse that had just died of a heart attack after a training run on his gallops.

Racing authorities in Britain and Ireland have condemned the undated photograph, which Elliott confirmed in a statement on Sunday evening was genuine.

The trainer has apologised “profoundly for any offence that this photo has caused”, while seeking to explain what he said was the context of events that led to the picture.

He said he was waiting for the body of the animal to be taken away when he got a phone call and sat down on the horse without thinking.

The image shows him in a pose, holding two fingers out while sitting on the horse.

In an interview with The Racing Post, Elliott accepted his actions were indefensible.

Whether alive or dead, the horse was entitled to dignity, he said. “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.”

One of his most high-profile employers, Cheveley Park Stud, said it was horrified by the photo and bookmaker Betfair dropped Elliott as an ambassador, saying his actions were not consistent with its values.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) has already launched a full investigation – and while Elliott is licensed in Ireland, the British Horseracing Authority said it was “appalled” by the image and was “considering its own regulatory options”, but has now acted.

A statement on Monday evening said: “The British Horseracing Authority will not allow the Irish trainer Gordon Elliott to race horses in Britain whilst the Irish authorities investigate an image that appeared on social media over the weekend.

“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 BHA added that owners of horses currently trained by Elliott are permitted to transfer them to a different trainer and run them at a British meeting, “providing they comply with the relevant rules”.

An earlier statement had read: “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 loudly that British horseracing finds this totally unacceptable.”

Despite the controversy, it was business as usual for Elliott on the racecourse at least, as he sent out Black Tears to win the Grade Three Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown – while Papal Lodge, Coach Carter and Mighty Potter were also on the mark for the Cullentra team.

Elliott has been a Grand National-winning trainer three times, first in 2007 with Silver Birch, and then with Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019 – the first horse to triumph back to back since Red Rum in the 1970s.

He has trained 32 winners at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival, where he has been the top trainer twice.

The 2021 festival takes place from 16-19 March and Elliott currently stands to miss it as a result of the temporary BHA ban.

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