Gordon Elliott© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Gordon Elliott issued the following statement this evening following the IHRB case which concluded earlier:
"I accept my situation and my sanction and am satisfied with my engagement with the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. It is not an easy job to sit on the panel but I was dealt with fairly.
I am in this situation by my own action and I am not going to dodge away from this. With my position in the sport I have great privileges and great responsibility. I did not live up to that responsibility. I am no longer a teenage bot who first rode a horse at Tony Martin's 30 years ago. I am an adult with obligations and a position in a sport I have loved since I first saw horses race.
I am paying a very high price for my error but I have no complaints. It breaks my heart to see the hurt I have caused to my colleagues, family, friends and supporters. I have a long road ahead of me but I will serve my time and then build back better.
Horses are my life. I love them. No one comes into racing for money - Its a hard way to make a living. We are because we love the horses. Anyone who has visited my stables at Cullentra will see the meticulous care with which we treat our horses. I was disrestpectful to a dead horse, an animal that had been a loyal servant to me and was loved by my staff. I will carry the burden of my transgressions for the rest of my career. I will never again disrespect a horse living or dead and I not tolerate it in others.
Finally i want to thank my owners and my staff who, despite being let down by me, have been unstinting in their support. I will vindicate their faith in me.
