SATURDAY, 6 MARCH 2021 SUPER SATURDAY ON TAP AT MEYDAN GORDON ELLIOTT BANNED By Kelsey Riley FOR TWELVE MONTHS, A packed slate of seven pattern races is set for Meydan=s >Super Saturday= card for aspirants to the Dubai World Cup races SIX SUSPENDED on Mar. 27, and headlining the card is the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 over the course and distance of the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup. Last-out group winners Salute The Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus}) and Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) are the headliners, but potential distance limitations for the pair of them perhaps levels the playing field. The 6-year-old Salute The Soldier went the furthest he has gone last out in the 1900 metre G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2, winning by a diminishing length after hitting the lead two furlongs out. Secret Ambition is a mile specialist who beat the reopposing Hypothetical (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) over that trip in the G3 Firebreak S. on Feb. 4, and he goes beyond a mile for just the second time in his 40-race career. The only time he attempted this trip was two years ago when he was beaten 12 1/2 lengths in a Meydan handicap on the turf. Salute The Solider and Secret Ambition are, interestingly, both by Australian-bred sprinters and have damsires that are Dubai World Cup winners--Street Gordon Elliott | PA Media Cry (Ire) and Singspiel (Ire), respectively--so connections will be hoping they can call on the stamina of their female lines. Salute Irish National Hunt trainer Gordon Elliott has said that he is The Soldier=s rider Adrie De Vries said the horse got the trip well "paying a very heavy price" but that he has no complaints after last time. AThat was a new trip last time and he stayed well, being handed a 12-month suspension by the Irish Horseracing suggesting the extra 200 metres will not be an issue,@ the rider Regulatory Board (IHRB), with the last six months of the ban said. Cont. p3 suspended. While it has been announced that the latter second half of the ban has been suspended, it has yet to be announced for how IN TDN AMERICA TODAY long that suspension would apply and what level of offence WEEKEND REPLETE WITH KY DERBY/OAKS PREPS would cause it to be triggered. Elliott has not been fined but was America's sophomores look to punch their tickets to this spring's ordered to pay i15,000 towards the IHRB=s costs. Kentucky Derby/Oaks in an action packed Saturday. Click or tap Cont. p2 here to go straight to TDN America. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 9 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 6 MARCH 2021 Gordon Elliott Banned For Twelve Months cont. from p1 having followed due process at all times, the IHRB team are satisfied that the case has been dealt with fairly and The referrals committee of the IHRB heard evidence on Friday appropriately." relating to the social media release last weekend of a disturbing He added: "Ireland and its racehorse trainers, riders, breeders photograph showing Elliott sitting astride a dead horse on his and workers are held in high regard globally providing some of gallops in Co Meath. The horse was later identified as the the very best horses and the very best racing talent. Gigginstown House Stud-owned Morgan (Ire), who is believed to "We recognise the heartfelt upset that this matter has caused have suffered a heart attack during routine morning exercise in to people inside and outside of racing, none more so than to the 2019. staff employed by Mr Elliott. We also see at first hand both on After being handed his the racecourse and as part of penalty, Elliott released a our stable inspection statement on his Twitter programme that horses account on Friday evening. receive unrivalled care, He said, "I accept my attention, and affection. situation and my sanction and Indeed, as part of the am satisfied with my investigation into this very engagement with the Irish case, an unannounced stable Horseracing Regulatory inspection of Mr Elliott's yard Board. It is not an easy job to this week led to no concerns sit on the panel but I was about the welfare of the dealt with fairly." horses in his care, as has Elliott added, "I am in this been the case during any situation by my own action other inspection we carried and I am not going to dodge out at his premises each year. Gordon Elliott | PA Media away from this. With my In our opinion the incident position in the sport I have great privileges and great covered in today's hearing is not reflective of Irish racing." responsibility. I did not live up to that responsibility. Elliott's conduct was considered under Rules 272 and 273 (xiii) "I am paying a very heavy price for my error but I have no of the Rules of Racing and Irish National Hunt Steeplechase complaints. It breaks my heart to see the hurt I have caused to Rules. The former deals with licensed individuals acting "in a my colleagues, family, friends and supporters. I have a long road manner which is prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or ahead of me but I will serve my time and then build back good reputation of horseracing" and the latter with any act better." "likely to be prejudicial to the interests of the IHRB or which is The trainer has assured the IHRB that he will not attend a race likely to cause serious damage to the interests of horseracing in meeting or a point-to-point fixture for six months. The authority Ireland." has released details of the findings of the referral committee There has been widespread condemnation throughout the hearing. racing world and beyond of the image--in which Elliott appears Its concluding statement read, "We consider that a suspension to be giving the 'victory' sign while sitting on the stricken horse- of Mr Elliott's training licence is merited. In all of the -following its emergence on Saturday. The following evening the circumstances of this case, to reflect the seriousness of the three-time Grand National-winning trainer released a statement offence and the damage to the Irish racing industry, to deter to confirm the authenticity of the photograph and stated that he other offences of this nature and having taken into account the was cooperating fully with the IHRB investigation. mitigating factors we have heard, we consider the period should Following this admission, Michael and Eddie O'Leary of be 12 months, however the last six months of this will be Gigginstown House Stud, the biggest owner at Elliott's Cullentra suspended." House stable, pledged their support of the trainer. Cheveley Assessing the decision, Denis Egan, CEO of the IHRB said, Park Stud removed eight horses from the yard on Tuesday, "Where breaches of rules occur and where participants in racing including star novice chaser Envoi Allen (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}), act in a manner that brings the sport into disrepute, there are no who has now joined Henry de Bromhead's stable. The eight winners, and in fact, the loss is to Irish racing with damage to horses were split between de Bromhead and champion trainer the reputation of the sport. Having acted with thoroughness and Willie Mullins. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 9 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 6 MARCH 2021 The trainer this week lost his yard sponsor, eComm Merchant Solutions, the company owned by Noel and Valerie Moran, who have a number of horses in training with Elliott, including G1 Triumph Hurdle joint-favourite Zanahiyr (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Betfair also announced that it would be discontinuing its association with Elliott, who was an ambassador for the betting exchange firm. Senior Vice President Elliott has previously twice been the leading trainer at Britain's Gary King biggest jumps meeting, the Cheltenham Festival, which is set to Twitter: @garykingTDN start on Tuesday, Mar. 16. [email protected] A statement from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on + 1.732.320.0975 Friday read, "We welcome the fact that the Irish authorities have acted swiftly. The suspension will be reciprocated here in International Editor Great Britain. The existing restriction on Mr Elliott having Kelsey Riley runners in Great Britain will stay in place until the suspension Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] takes effect on Mar. 9. "The IHRB Referrals Committee pointed to the fact that the European Editor photo showed appalling bad taste and demonstrates a complete Emma Berry absence of respect for the horse. We endorse these comments, Twitter: @collingsberry and the view that respect is an integral and essential part of the [email protected] duty of those in charge of animals." It continued, "Today's decision confirms that horses will not be Associate International Editor able to run at the Cheltenham Festival or Grand National Heather Anderson Festival in the name of Gordon Elliott. However, if horses are Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN transferred directly to other licensed trainers prior to Mar. 9-- Marketing Manager when the suspension is due to commence--they will be able to Alayna Cullen run." Twitter: @AlaynaCullen With the National Hunt season for 2020/21 set to conclude at [email protected] the end of April, Elliott is the leading trainer by number of winners--his tally of 155, including two at Fairyhouse on Friday, Contributing Editors puts him 17 clear of Mullins, who is ahead on prize-money. Alan Carasso Christina Bossinakis Cafe Racing Super Saturday On Tap At Meydan cont.