Elliott Head Lad Banned for Nine Months Over Photo

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 the morning of March 19 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 behavior 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 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. McGonagle retired from riding races in 2010. He has often been cited by Elliott as being one of the key members of his team.

This week, following the transfer of Elliott's license to Denise 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.