Gordon Elliott (racehorse trainer)

Gordon Elliott is a County Meath-based National Hunt racehorse trainer^[1] who was 29 when his first Grand National entry, the 33 to 1 outsider^[2] Silver Birch won the 2007 race on 14 April 2007. Owned by Brian Walsh of County Kildare, and ridden by Robbie Power, the horse held off McKelvey ^[3] and Slim Pickings to win the Aintree Racecourse event.^[4]

The 14 April 2007 saw Gordon Elliott become the youngest ever trainer to win the world's most prestigious steeplechase, the Aintree Grand National.The horse, Silver Birch, was bought from Paul Nicholls. Despite having won the Grand National, Gordon had not at that stage trained a winner on the track back home in Ireland.

Elliott won another major handicap race in Britain in August 2010 when Dirar won the Ebor Handicap at York Racecourse.^[5]

At the age of thirteen Gordon first entered the racing world, working for Tony Martin at weekends and holidays. This developed into a full-time job as soon as he could leave school. Taking out his amateur licence at sixteen, Gordon's first winner came in a bumper at Ballinrobe on board Caitriona's Choice, trained by Michael Cunningham for whom Gordon would go on to ride many winners.

As a jockey Gordon achieved great success, notably two winners at Cheltenham, the Punchestown Champion Bumper and five winners in the US.

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