Elliott reflects on fantastic season With the dust finally settling on a breathless Punchestown Festival, Gordon Elliott has taken time to assess his achievement in pushing Willie Mullins all the way in the race for the title. Elliott headed into the final week of the season with a seemingly untouchable lead, but a monstrous effort from Mullins saw him claim the trainers’ championship for a 12th time. Nevertheless, it was a still a fine campaign for Elliott, who broke 200 winners in a season for the first time and won the English and Irish Grand Nationals with Tiger Roll and General Principle respectively. “Now Punchestown is over I have had a chance to reflect on the last year and what a fantastic season we had,” Elliott told Betfair. “Of course I was disappointed to lose out on the title during Punchestown but if you’re going to get beaten by someone you want it to be someone as strong as Willie and to come here for the last two years with even a chance of winning was brilliant. “I turned 40 this year and I have the rest of my life to chase this dream but I’d hope my turn won’t be far away and I’ll continue to strive for it every year.”
