Gordon Elliott says he has let down the racing industry, his owners and his staff with an "indefensible moment of madness" as the sport united in condemning the image of the trainer sitting on a dead horse on his gallops.
Elliott spoke exclusively to the Racing Post on a day that saw the British Horseracing Authority ban him from having runners in Britain while an investigation by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board takes place into the image that appeared on social media at the weekend.
However, the BHA will allow the trainer's horses to run if transferred to another trainer. Elliott's team for Cheltenham includes the unbeaten superstar Envoi Allen.
Elliott's biggest owners, Gigginstown House Stud, have said they will stick by the trainer, who confirmed it was one of their horses, Morgan, in the image. The gelding won four of his 21 starts and died of a heart aneurysm as a seven-year-old in 2019.
The trainer discussed the incident on Monday and said that he will spend the rest of his life regretting and paying for the mistake he has made.
Elliott said: "It is indefensible. Whether alive or dead, the horse was entitled to dignity. A moment of madness that I am going to have to spend the rest of my life paying for and that my staff are suffering for.
"I will be punished, I fully understand that. But it absolutely breaks my heart to read and hear people say that I have no respect for my horses. That couldn't be further from the truth. My whole life has revolved around horses since I was a child. I know nothing else. Horses are all I have. I came from nothing and built a dream.
"When your world starts crumbling in front of you, it's a scary place to be. I just hope people can understand how truly sorry I am and find some way to forgive me for what I have done."