Racing has been besmirched by Elliott and must now make its revulsion clear

What happens next to Gordon Elliott is plainly important, yet his fate is of secondary consideration to that of the sport whose reputation he has so terribly tarnished.

If you work in racing you have been betrayed. There are a multitude of people whose lives revolve around racehorses. Those people are overwhelmingly decent. At a time when most of us are still in bed, a tireless, dedicated and devoted workforce begins the job of feeding, riding and mucking out the animals who bring so many of us immeasurable joy. All those individuals, in Ireland, Britain and beyond, have been let down.

Gordon Elliott: 'I will spend my life paying for indefensible moment of madness'