Trainer Gordon Elliott says he accepts his six month suspension from racing and he's vowed to never be disrespectful to a horse again.
The Meath handler was handed a one-year ban this evening by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, with the last six months suspended.
The board says the punishment "reflects the seriousness of the offence and the damage it has done to the industry".
Many of the top horses at his Cullentra yard have been moved by their owners this week, though Gigginstown have retained faith in the trainer.
Elliott's announced this evening that he won't be appealing against the ban and insists that he'll make up for his error.
"I accept my situation and my sanction and am satisfied with my engagement with the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board," Elliott said through his social media accounts. "It is not an easy job to sit on the panel but I was dealt with fairly.
"I am in this situation by my own action and I am not going to dodge away from this. With my position in the sport I have great privileges and great responsibility. I did not live up to that responsibility. I am no longer the teenage boy who first rode a horse at Tony Martin’s 30 years ago. I am an adult with obligations and a position in a sport I have loved since I first saw horses race.
"I am paying a very heavy price for my error but I have no complaints. It breaks my heart to see the hurt I have caused to my colleagues, family, friends and supporters. I have a long road ahead of me but I will serve my time and then build back better.
"Horses are my life. I love them. No one comes into racing for money – it is a hard way to make a living. We are here because we love the horses. Anyone who has visited my stables at Cullentra will see the meticulous care with which we treat our horses. I was disrespectful to a dead horse, an animal that had been a loyal servant to me and was loved by my staff.
"I will carry the burden of my transgressions for the rest of my career. I will never again disrespect a horse living or dead and I will not tolerate it in others.
"Finally I want to thank my owners and my staff who, despite being let down by me, have been unstinting in their support. I will vindicate their faith in me."
— Gordon Elliott (@gelliott_racing) March 5, 2021
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