Elliott head lad banned for nine months for taking controversial picture

Simon McGonagle, long-serving head lad to Gordon Elliott, has been disqualified from racing for nine months with the final seven of those months suspended after being found guilty of bringing racing into disrepute for taking the controversial picture of his boss sitting on a dead horse.

At an Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board referral hearing on Friday morning that was chaired by Justice Siobhan Keegan, McGonagle was found in breach of rule 272 (i), which is the same rule Elliott was sanctioned under and covers behaviour that is considered prejudicial to the good image of racing. Anthony Byrne and Peter Allen were the other two individuals on the IHRB referral panel.

While Elliott is only suspended from holding a licence, McGonagle's ban is more extensive, as a disqualified person cannot work in racing or access any licensed premises during their sanction. His ban will begin on April 19.

A former amateur rider, McGonagle and Elliott have been friends since early childhood, sharing the novice riders' championship on the point-to-point circuit in 1998.

Gordon Elliott: suspended from holding a licence for six monthsCredit: Patrick McCann

McGonagle also shared the same title with Davy Russell the following season, and by the time of his retirement from the saddle in 2010 he had ridden 94 winners in points and a handful on the track.

He and Elliott initially worked together in Tony Martin's, and he has often been cited by Elliott as being one of the key members of the team at Cullentra House.

This week, following the transfer of Elliott's licence to Denise 'Sneezy' Foster, the stable has been responsible for three Cheltenham Festival winners, with a further three that were taken from the yard in the wake of the scandal scoring for other stables.

If you want more on this story . . .

Denise Foster to run Elliott yard while trainer serves six-month suspension

Gordon Elliott admits 'shocking' image is real and apologises

Jockey Rob James suspended for four months after IHRB hearing into video

Julie Harrington warns of existential crisis for racing following week of horror

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