Gordon Elliot

Bar the Bull

Bar the Bull

At the Start
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
9,534
Location
Llandubno, West Wales (very west)
Gordon Elliot is gradually establishing himself in the very highest rank of NH trainers. I think his progress is possibly the most notable achievement by man or beast in the Irish racing season.

In the past month he has had:

2 Aintree winners (Russian War and the bumper winner)
2 Cheltenham winners (Carlito Brigante and Chicago Grey)

He has continued knocking in winners at places like Gowran and Tramore as he has managed this.

Overall this seaon, he is 4th in the Irish trainers’ championship, with decent wins with Dirar, Tharawaat, Hoopy, Toner d’Oudiares, Roi du Mee and Jessie’s Dream.

Progress in the last four seasons:

2010-11 4th (3k off third place)
2009-10 14th
2008-09 25th
2007-08 44th
 
Anybody else hear his "choice" language when celebrating with Jason Maguire (best pals apparently) immediately after the National?? 2 match ban I say:lol::lol:
 
No chance of a group winner on the flat. He enjoys a beer and has a big entourage. Not a very traditional trainer to say the least!
 
I can think of a few flat trainers who enjoy a Beer but I think perhaps he would have been better suited to the Celtic Tiger owners with the 'big entourage' as regards getting a few good flat horses in.
 
Visited his stables two or three years ago and was amazed he produced any winners as it was a bit of a mud heap and facilities weren't that good although to be fair he was having new gallops installed at that time so maybe success has helped pay for more improvements. Gordon and his partner Annie were brilliant towards us though and I imagine all his owners share brilliant craic with them win or lose.
 
Of course it all depends on how you view success for a trainer.

Take Colm this season, one Grade 1 and five Grade 2 wins plus three grade one placings with three different horses. He took Aladdins Cave off Gordon Elliott and he won five races, starting on 61 and ending with a win off 89. But he goes about things quietly, and successfully.

Gordon has made his reputation by winning handicaps until Jessies Dream did the trick at Fairyhouse (I admit Silver Birch won a bit more than just a handicap, as did Carlito Brigante but you know what I mean). He will get better horses as a result so it will be interesting to see how he does with them. I think he will do well, partially because of his ability to train but also his outlook on life. Owners like him as he'll go for a few beers with them. His exploits in Perth are legendary.
 
Bar the Bull said:
Graded wins
Prize money
Top handicaps
Click to expand...

So just for the craic, how would you compare Colm, Elliott and Mullins on that basis, taking into account that Mullins is nearly 50% more expensive than the other two, a point which should not be forgotten.
 
3 flat wins last year wouldn't set the pulse racing from 55 runners. He has made his reputation through his exploits at places like Perth. As someone looking in from the outside I have always thought that this was a massively big PR move for him personally and maybe not such a fantastic thing for his owners! They could never make it pay by doing what they were doing fot that level of prizemoney. Why did he not set up a satelite yard in the UK if these were his targets?? I always thought Colm started with Aladins Cave and am surprised that he came from Elliotts. Mr Murphy improved him a little you would have to say:whistle: His fiancé does a piece in the Irish Field about the goings on in the yard- suffice it to say they enjoy themselves.
 
On The Bridle said:
Mr Murphy improved him a little you would have to say:whistle:
Click to expand...

I think the word banjaxed came to mind when he arrived. Attention to detail is key and they eventually found a foot problem with him. Once that was sorted, the wins kept coming and coming.

But I've come to the conclusion that anyone of us could train a horse to win if we sat in a yard for a few months and soaked up how to get a horse fit. I think the good trainers (and what would set them apart from the chancers like those in the previous line) are the ones who know when to stop, when to go, what's wrong and why its wrong and get it sorted. They are the people that win with horses that shouldn't win. And they aren't high profile horses. It could be a little handicapper with a back problem or something else.
 
You cannot underestimate horsemanship - which is a full understanding of how a whole horse works, not just riding well. There are some really small-time trainers who will know what's likely to be the reason why a horse isn't doing well simply because of the way it holds itself. Tom Keddy amazed me with the story of his little mare MARIOLINI last season: she wasn't doing any good and I believe she'd been chucked in the sales, where he picked her up ridiculously cheaply. His feeling was that she had something wrong along her topline, probably a sore back or withers. He said he just gently tweezed her withers with his fingers, and she nearly sank to the ground in pain. Sore withers, probably caused by a pinching saddle, nothing worse, but so painful it was enough to restrict her ability to run properly.

A few weeks with some physio and rest, and she was winning and placing like a little bandit. You have to feel for owners who don't know a gaskin from a gasket, and who are told their horses are useless, won't ever win, yadda-yadda, or who are spun all kinds of stories just to keep the fees coming in.

Anyone could train a horse if all it took was getting it fit, in the same way that anyone could look after a baby if all it took was feeding it and changing its nappy.
 
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I'm not sure how sustainable Elliots style is. All the owners wanting a piece of him could catch up. I think they all learn that eventually and maybe he'll make himself less available now that he is established. He has marketted himself very well. I agree re: Perth . I can't imagine it did the owners much good.
Getting ordinary horses to win is as good a sign of a trainer as getting the good ones to win imo. Murphys personal style would appeal more to me than Elliots and unless you have a Graded horse you need to have your head examined keeping one with Mullins.
 
On Monday, Gordon Elliott, trainer of the 2007 Grand National winning Silver Birch, paid €910,000 at auction for a Co Meath farm which he plans to convert into stables. He was the successful bidder of Cullentra House, Longwood, a residential farm with a five-bedroom house, three reception rooms and 78 acres.

Auctioneer Tom Potterton of TE Potterton Real Estate Alliance, had been guiding between €700,000 and €750,000 for the property and bidding started at €600,000. The property appealed to the trainer because of its hill which is similar to the lead-up to the winning post at Cheltenham.
 
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