PUNCHESTOWN IS READY to welcome Gordon Elliott back on track if he is in attendance following the end of his suspension – as crowds also return to the venue for the first time since February 2020.
As Punchestown stages a rare Flat fixture on Tuesday, Elliott has one confirmed runner – Oh Purple Reign in the Donate To The Coast To The Curragh Cycle In Honour Of Pat Smullen Handicap.
He also has Alice Kitty as third reserve in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap later on the card.
Elliott was free to make entries again from last Thursday, following the end of the suspension imposed by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board in March after an image of him sitting on a dead horse was widely circulated on social media.
The top Irish trainer was banned for 12 months, with half of that sentence suspended, and Denise Foster took temporary control of his Cullentra base.
Elliott is no stranger to success at this scene of his return, with Don Cossack in the 2015 Punchestown Gold Cup one of his many highlights over jumps.
Racecourse manager Richie Galway said: “He has been a huge supporter of Punchestown for many years, and obviously he’s served his suspension, and he’ll be welcomed very much by us all here at Punchestown.
“I don’t know if he’s coming.”
Punchestown will have nowhere near the 5,000 crowd once more allowed, as coronavirus restrictions are eased, but there is the incentive of free admission for those wanting to go.
“It’s just nice to be racing,” added Galway.
“We have just re-opened the racecourse to the public, and I’m delighted to see them back. We have offered free admission for anyone who wants to come racing tomorrow.
“Obviously given the protocols in Ireland at the moment, you have to pre-register in advance and have to track and trace. It has proven popular and it is just good to see crowds back racing.
“We can have 5,000 but we won’t get anywhere near the capacity tomorrow. The last time we had racegoers here would have been February 2020.”
Punchestown staged a Flat meeting last year for the first time since 2002, and more can be expected when a new €5million development is completed in 2025.
Galway said: “We’re constantly modifying and developing our track.
“The latest plan is a track extension, and the home straight widened, that will facilitate more fixtures in general – not specifically linked to Flat racing but (which) will enable us to have additional Flat racing.
“It is something we are keen to do – we are keen to maximise racing options and make our facility better, with on-going development as part of our strategy.
“We had a Flat meeting last year, and it was well-received by the industry in general.
“At Punchestown we are keen to provide a top-class racing surface and lay-out, so it’s really gratifying to see the support that we have for tomorrow’s meeting.”
Elliott will have his first jumps runners at Sligo on Wednesday, with four of his seven entries declared.
They seem to be going all out to stop the rot, will it work?
I don’t think it will work straight away but I think Blind is a very good signing. Very disciplined and will work very hard for LVG. Phil Jones really needs to buck up. If he can start doing the easy things right and start leading from the back, then I think a major defender isn’t needed. It’s positive rather than the negative shite we’ve been watching for a while. In saying that, Burnley could turn up and want it a lot more today and teach United a thing or two about desire.
Blind often played at CDM for Ajax and that is what United need the most good signing
Spot on there pal I think lvg will play him there
Shaw,Rojo,Blind..Any chance he’ll sign a right back?
Rafael, valencia, smalling and jones able to play there too! The problem was at left back which he seems to have fixed
Hes paid big money for 3 left backs,2 of which are versatile. Im trying to see how he’ll be able to play all 3 at one time
They’ve lost three left backs since January so makes sense. Plus, Rojo can play in the centre and Blind in holding midfield as well as CB.
Rojo likely to play centre or left in a 3 at the back, Shaw will play either left back or left wing back, Blind will play mainly Centre Mid, or infront of the back 3/4.
It’s also likely Shaw will in maybe a year or 2 end up as a out and out winger if he proves himself again like last season going forward
A great signing and nice to have some depth at left-back but as Jonjo mentioned in a comment the signature of a right-back is surely imminent now. Rafael is too much of a liability and Jones is more favourable at centre-back.
£14 million isn’t too bad considering United are getting a player that LVG has worked with and Blind will know how he coaches etc. Still United’s transfer policy is shocking. Letting a handful of players go at start of the window and then clearly failing to replace them. Leads to panic buying in the last few weeks. Then they pay over the odds because of it.
Seems to be a very overpriced deal?
More like a player that the likes of Newcastle would sign for 6/7million and then sell on for this kind if money.
If Woodward hadn’t advertised how much money we had to spend we wouldn’t be held to ransom like this!
Or if they hadn’t shown their intentions by paying stupid money for Luke Shaw at the start of the transfer window
Or if we got players in before letting the likes of Vidic and Ferdinand go!
We then have the bad results of the start of the season and everyone can see the desperation.
It has nothing to do with Woodward. I think he is aptly priced going by the rates players are priced at these days and taking into consideration Blind’s performances at the world cup.
Really! Woodward announcing that we had 200 million to spend has no influence on clubs holding out for higher fees?
The selling club has all the power when it comes to selling player to United at the moment because we’ve left it late to get players in, and have showed our hand too quickly!
I agree Evra and Ferdinand were on the decline but I wouldn’t have let Vidic go before next season while he brings the youngsters up to standard or quality new players in.
We didn’t have to be in this situation! Vidic could have got us through the first part of the season?
Rojo still has third party ownership issues never mind work permit issues.
We left ourselves without a defence at the start of the season, and now our arse is in the wind as we scramble for players!!!!
If that’s not Woodward who is it???
John, are you shouting?
Not yet I’m only 2/10 on the Delia meter at the moment!
If I were shouting, I’d write LIKE THIS!
John united are going to have to overpay another couple of times yet. They lost their negotiating power because of Woodward big mouth, years of underinvestment driven by the glazers and now a poor run of results.
Things are starting to shape up now though. I have no doubt LVG will get them going on a run at some point. The question is when …..
Sorry John, I do agree with some of what you are saying. I should have said I don’t think Blind is overpriced. When I heard Ajax wanted a minimum of 20 million I thought here we go again in relation to the extortionate price paid for Dj Maria and probably Shaw too. So I was surprised when 18 million was announced. I do agree with what youare saying about advertising the money the club are willing to spend and I would liken it to Chelsea’s ability to somehow get 50 million from PSG for David Luiz, but everyone knows PSG have adequate funding so hey, why not!? Also similar to Real Madrid paying top dollar to secure big names at the club. They have the money to do so. It’s activity like this that is in my opinion inflating the football player economy so that’s why I don’t think Woodward is solely responsible.
Declan, I agree with you, hopefully VIdal next!
Here hoping John though time is getting tight now for that deal. Hernandez as part of deal might make juve bite. Who knows
Good man Stephen!
Although Madrid balance it out with the odd bargain 20 million for Kroos. When we do our homework we get a Solskjaer or a Hernandez or even a Ronaldo (price wasn’t bargain basement but look what we sold him for).
When we haven’t planned properly we have to do a panicked shopping spree.
Our team has been evolving for years and we shouldn’t have been in shock that Giggs, Evra, Ferdinand, got old there understudies should be in before they are out?
Looked poor for Ajax v psv last weekend
Stephen, I also think you are right, there is a team if people that make the decisions behind the scenes, they should be advising a little better, but Gill was a bit more clued in?
It’s one of those, that if he stays for 10 years and is successful it was cheap!
But if he fails to adapt to the premier league we could be selling him for half the price we bought him for!
Liam, I’d say his mind was on United this deal has been in the pipeline! Van Der Sar had had several trips to Carrington representing Ajax!
I’d say he didn’t want to risk injury before the transfer!
Well Gill and Ferguson were a class act as far as transfers and finance are concerned. Great ability to buy an unknown starlet and turn them into a decent player. It was the same with the youth system, they knew what they were at. LVG will be the same I reckon but he needs to become comfortable with the club. It takes time. Especially in regard to the youth system, that doesn’t just come overnight.
Yes but that activity is conducted by the scouting network, and we didn’t loose that with Gill/Ferguson.
I agree LVG will get all that right, but he’s been forced into buying at high prices.
If it doesn’t work in the first year, the press will come out with you’ve spent 200 million and there will be a witch hunt.
I would have hoped LVG having been around the block and having contacts in the footballing world could have pointed out a few players we didn’t know about!
Shaw and Herrera were signed from long term targets.
Di Maria was a signing we had to do to boost fans confidence and prove we can sign the best.
I would put Daley Blind as LVG’s first proper signing?
In my opinion Moyes got rid of very important back room staff. Rene, Mike Phealan, among many and replaced with Phil Neville.
Players began to loose confidence in the coaching started to fight amongst themselves and the dressing room split.
Bidi said if he knew LVG was coming in he wouldn’t have left.
*vidic
LOL combination of sausage fingers and predictive text
Yes , the bright lights and big pockets were probably playing on his mind
Really need a midfielder before deadline day,seen song is in talks with west ham,surely he would of been a cheap short term solution.
£14 million ain’t too bad a deal these days for a very good versatile player.
£13.85 million if you are to believe Sky Sports News.
Another left back and now the most expensive team in pl history Jesus United are shocking
Ah Ian. Thought you could do better than that. Who do you support ?
Very solid signing, I think the United new members of the united squad although over priced are fantastic signings. If we could get de Jong or Vidal and a right back now it could be the league. ….
im very disappointed by this news feed