The 2023 Cheltenham Festival (14-17 March) is nearly upon us and in this article you can find out everything you need to know about Irish trainer Gordon Elliott ahead of the showpiece meeting.
Gordon Elliott is one of Ireland’s leading trainers who took out his licence in 2006 and is based in Co Meath.
His first major victory came in the 2007 Grand National when Silver Birch – the first horse he had ever entered in the race – triumphed at odds of 33/1.
Elliott has had 34 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, which puts him joint-fifth on the all-time list with Martin Pipe – a spectacular feat considering his first win came in 2011.
He was the Festival’s leading trainer in 2017 and 2018 and equalled the record for the most winners at Cheltenham in a single year with eight in the second of those years.
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Elliott is currently 8/1 to be the top trainer at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, which would be the third time he has achieved the feat.
Willie Mullins is the standout favourite in this market, however Elliott’s price is of high appeal given the quality of horses he has running at this year’s Festival.
Elliott loves this race and he will be hoping for a repeat of previous years when Delta Work lines up to tackle this 3m 6f contest.
The 10-year-old was victorious last year in the Cross Country Chase and Elliott also saddled the winner with Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019 plus Cause of Causes in 2017.
Delta Work’s short price is largely due to last year’s success and Elliott is happy with the weight his charge will carry at the Festival.
Mighty Potter is now as short as 5/4 for the 2m 4f contest that opens day three of the Festival after winning the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown this month.
The six-year-old underachieved at last year’s Festival when he was pulled up in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
But Elliott has no fear of that happening again and has insisted that Delta Work is a stronger horse ahead of his chosen target next month.
Elliott believes that Maxxum could take full advantage of what looks to be a wide-open Pertemps Network Final Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
The six-year-old was incredibly impressive when winning the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown in December by 16 lengths.
Wins by nine lengths at Navan and 14½ lengths at Leopardstown either side of that have earmarked Elliott’s charge as one to watch.
Fury Road is in with a serious chance in this year’s Ryanair Chase on the evidence of two third-place finishes against strong opposition at Leopardstown in his last two races.
Victory in a Grade 2 contest at Down Royal last November propelled hope that Fury Road can be a real contender for a Festival win for Elliott’s stable.
He has some Cheltenham experience, having finished third behind Monkfish in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle three years ago.
Teahupoo is a horse that Elliott favours and there is belief he can stop Flooring Porter’s dominance in the Stayers’ Hurdle.
The horse has a first-class record, having won eight of 11 races over hurdles including a victory against Honeysuckle at Fairyhouse in December.
In January, Teahupoo claimed a notable victory in the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park, so it’s definitely worth having the six-year-old as a potential victor for Elliott here.
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