Gordon ELLIOTT

See also Paul Nicholls.

Most of Elliott's ran like dogs. Wodhooh must be a good horse.

Look back over the last few years and u will see the pattern with his horses throughout the year - stable peaks very early in the real NH season - targets Down Royal in early November. Not sure how he plans his season with his top stars

He's won £26 million over last 5 seasons so must be doing something right but as Kristin says, peaks early but horses not quite as good as Mullins, Bromhead have for Cheltenham.

Desperately trying to win the Irish championship with a squad that isn't as deep as Mullins's means the same horses have to be relied upon to be ready for all the grade 1 races in the Autumn and be able to keep going all the way through to be competitive for the Spring grade 1's and it's too much to ask.

If Elliott could get over the line this year he could adopt a more relaxed approach going forward and gently build up to the Spring festivals like Mullin does, he can't burn the candle at both ends with his current depth of quality.

All the 'big' trainers have flopped compared to Mullins. Skelton had loads run well but after it's all done, the uk champion elect has walked away with a couple of handicaps. I suppose Hendo was about par. Lucky enough to with the first race, too, could easily have come third.

Long odds on HdB would have only had the boys' handicap if FTF had been allowed to run.

A little harsh on Hendo, Cider. I'd say Skelton has more to think about, given none of his Grade 1 horses won (despite him talking them up as certainties).

I thought the wider spread of winners across yards was one of the nice things about this Festival. Even Mullins has the good grace to lose all the handicaps.

Elliot is the 4th most successful Cheltenham festival trainer ever I think.

So what's changed laying, because he's not winning much now? Nicholls is third best on that list iirc, so past success is no a guarantee of future success.

Hendo's was just about passable in my view, considering his operation revolves around the meeting.

Elliot could easily have taken the xc and had a winner bar unseating at the last. Margins isn't it, but only the results count.

Indeed. But using similar logic, Sir Gino would likely have won the Champion if he hadn't got injured. Once one starts going down these roads, the possibilities are endless.

I agree. On the bare results, Hendo won't be thrilled. But did enough to mean it wasn't a disaster. Both of them just didn't have the necessary firepower, but my overriding point is that only one firm does currently. Mullins can afford to lose State Man, Galopin, FTF et al.

Romeo Coolio was the palpable disappointment, he had looked a very good jumper but it fell apart on the day.

From 20 Rnrs Henderson had 3 Wnrs & 5 Plcs.
Not a bad return.

2 handicaps and a novice hurdle

Mullins says that all the races count the same, so three wins is three wins.

(Whether he really thinks that I'd another matter.)

Elliott doesn't half have some fools with megabucks to burn, 500k plus for horse called Monster Truck thurs night who is well named, in video makes the others look small, the bigger they are the more problems they have, a rediculous buy.

Could Wodhooh have won the Champion Hurdle? I think she'd beat Lossiemouth if neither State Man nor Sir Gino did not turn up.

In the trainers' race in the meeting they do

Prestige and prizemoney, no comparison.

I think the missing ingredient for Elliot is proper winter soft ground most of horses come from the PTP scene and i think good or gd/sft is not really for his horses.

The one above, Monster Truck looked as slow as a boat in ptp, jock cuffed hell out of it to get going at end. Some fools about.

Ryanair bought the GELDING
Comments in the catalogue state he had an EASY ride
Not sure-Looked like the jock was giving the full paddy!!!

Good job Trades Description act doesn't apply in the bloodstock world......

I think Elliott has a lot of solid 'found a fifty' type horses, Grade 2 performers on easy ground who aren't quite up to the top level. Brighterdaysahead could be interesting over fences next year, though I wonder if they might have left it a year too late (though she did win another Grade 1 this season, to be fair).

He tends to start a lot earlier than Willie so has usually built up a big lead by the New Year, farming that November meeting at Down Royal and big handicaps such as the Troytown. I'd still fancy Willie to chase him down at Punchestown, but any joy for Gordon at the Fairyhouse Irish National meeting might make things interesting. Think I read that Willie made up around 500,000 Euros at Punchestown when he chased Elliott down a few years back (2019?), so Gordon's current lead of over 350,000 Euros might not be enough? As others say, he's clearly desperate to win the title despite him playing it down recently, but that desperation does appear to make his horses 'over the top' in the big spring festivals. He doesn't appear to get great value from a lot of his expensive pointing recruits. I rate Joseph O'Brien and I wonder if he might have given Gordon a run for his money as Willie's main rival if hadn't scaled back his team of jumpers.

I was surprised how quickly Elliott's firepower recovered from the controversy of his ban, but I don't think he's quite at the level he was before that punishment, although landing that much-coveted trainer's championship might suggest otherwise.