Gordon Elliott committed an indefensible error for which he has paid a dear price.
His best horses have been loaded up and taken away. His sponsors have left him and his reputation as a racehorse trainer has taken a seismic hit.
The pile-on should now end.
Speaking on Today with Clare Byrne on RTE Radio, Ted Walsh discussed the collateral damage suffered by the trainer and without giving him an easy ride, the voice of reason rightfully condemned Elliott’s actions while sympathising with him in this difficult time.
“The licence is only a detail after what happened to him in the last few days,” Walsh began.
“His yard is gone, his staff will be redundant. He has 80 staff and he has the damage done on his family, himself and the staff.
“To be in Gordon Elliott’s yard yesterday and watch Envoi Allen and eight of the best horses you have loaded into a box.
“Everyone dreams of having a Dawn Run or an Arkle. Envoi Allen might have been one of them and now he has gone. I’m sure at this stage he is so low…”
Walsh added that it’s very easy to “kick a fella when he’s down,” and shared his concerns for Elliott’s well-being.
“At this stage he needs to make sure he is okay himself. It is very easy to put a nail in a fella’s coffin and kick a fella when he is down. He knows he made a major blunder and what he did is wrong. I’d say he needs a bit of help now.
“It is a huge blow to see your whole life crumbling like a deck of cards in front of you. He has paid for it. And the only person he can blame is himself. He will pay for it dearly for a long time.”
Walsh insisted that Elliott has made a big mistake but added that as far as he knows, it was an uncharacteristic one.
“It’s not something I expected from anyone in the racing game. I was always brought up to treat horses with respect when they were alive and dead.
“From my experience, and I was in Gordon’s yard a couple of times, and looking at the outfit because it is first class, like a five-star hotel, his results show his horses are always in top condition.
“His staff are well turned out. I’m dumbfounded. It is alien to what I expected. I never thought I’d see a picture of Gordon like that.”
