Gordon Elliott achieved another first on Sunday when he saddled a 41,276-1 six-timer at Navan on Sunday. In just over 10 years as a trainer, Elliott has sustained an upward trajectory that has put him in pole position to challenge Willie Mullins as Ireland’s leading trainer.
"It was a brilliant day," he told 2FM's Game On. "Troytown is a big day's racing, if you had one winner
you'd be delighted.
"To end up having six was just unbelievable. Credit to the team we have and the owners, it was a great day.
"I didn't realise it hadn't been done in Ireland before."
Despite his historic feat, Elliott insists talk of him dethroning nine-in-a-row champion trainer Willie Mullins is premature.
"I'm not thinking about that at all," he said. "Willie Mullins is a genius of a man and a gentleman too. He was one of the first people up to me after we had the six.
"The firepower he has, he's impossible to beat. It's our best season so far. We want to keep improving
every year, try to do our best for the owners and their horses and keep training winners. That's all I want to do."
The Meath man’s experience of life as a rookie trainer was from typical. When many young trainers would still have been hoping to unearth a ‘Saturday horse’ to boost their profile, Elliott had already won the world’s most famous race.
Just over a year after taking out his licence, a revitalised Silver Birch secured Grand National glory for Elliott – who had yet to saddle a winner in Ireland – when repelling the late lunge of Mckelvey in the 2007 edition of the race.
While some young trainers could have buckled under the sense of expectation that naturally followed such a big-race win, Elliott used it as a springboard to achieve regular big-race success.
He secured his first Cheltenham festival winner when Chicago Grey claimed the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup in 2011.
Better known for his exploits over jumps, Elliott also managed to capture Europe’s most lucrative Flat handicap when Dirar landed the Ebor at York in 2010.
Elliott, who was a major beneficiary of the split between champion trainer Willie Mullins and leading owners Gigginstown House Stud at the start of the season, is now on course to have his best season to date by some distance, with 144 winners already on the board and €1,743,275 amassed in prize money.
Of course, Elliott's association with Gigginstown was already well established - he saddled Don Cossack to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory in his biggest career win to date earlier this year.
First winner: Arresting 11/6/2006
First winner in Ireland: 5/5/2007
Cheltenham Festival winners: Carlito Brigante (Coral Cup 2011), Tiger Roll (Triumph Hurdle 2014), Don Cossack (Gold Cup 2016)
National Hunt winners in Ireland by season: (2007-08) 6, (2008-09) 14, (2009-10) 26, (2010-11) 62, (2011-12) 40, (2012-13) 54, (2013-14) 56, (2014-15) 92, (2015-2016) 123
