Elliott takes delivery of Gigginstown horses

Longwood trainer Gordon Elliott is looking forward to welcoming around 20 new horses to his Cullentra yard today following the shock news that Willie Mullins will no longer be training for Gigginstown House Stud.

Ireland's perennial champion trainer announced on Wednesday that the two parties have agreed to go their separate ways after Mullins raised his training fees and Gigginstown, which is run by Ryanair's Michael O'Leary and his brother, Eddie, refused to pay the new rate.

Elliott, who trained Don Cossack to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for Gigginstown in March, will be one of the main beneficiaries, with around 20 horses making the journey from Closutton to Cullentra.

'I was speaking to Eddie and Michael (O'Leary) last night, they were very straight with everything and it's a nice opportunity for us,' Elliott told At The Races.

'The horses are coming just before lunchtime today. I think there's just short of 20 to come, there's a few nice horses and we're looking forward to seeing them.'

'You can't refuse them, they're world-class horses and we're in a very lucky position to be getting them.'

'I haven't spoken to Willie yet, obviously he's plenty on his hands. I'll speak to him before the weekend, either at the races or I'll give him a ring.

'I'd say Willie is in a position where he's got a lot of horses waiting to come in. He's a genius at what he does and I'm sure he'll be doing his best to keep all his staff. He'll make the right decision.'

Among the horses set to join Elliott are Gold Cup third Don Poli and exciting filly Apple's Jade, who was runner-up in last season's Triumph Hurdle before bolting up at Aintree and Punchestown.

'I need to go through the form of all the horses, but Don Poli is obviously very good,' said the Summerhill man.

'Willie has done a wonderful job with him and it will be hard to improve him, but if we can keep him at the same level we should have plenty of fun with him.

'She (Apple's Jade) looked very good and obviously she'd be one of the ones you'd be really excited about getting. We need to learn a bit about her.'

With an increased string of 'around 160 to 165 horses for the track', Elliott looks to have his biggest chance yet of being crowned champion National Hunt trainer in Ireland.

However, he expect Mullins to be a tough nut to crack once again.

'It's something I dream about - someday being champion trainer - but I'm realistic to know that even with Willie losing this number of horses, he's going to be a hard man to beat for a long time.

'He's a wonderful trainer and a nice man, too. I'll be trying hard. It might not happen this year but hopefully it will happen someday.'

Meanwhile, Gold Cup winner Don Cossack is set to go back into training next month in the hope he has made a full recovery from injury.

However, should Elliott not be entirely happy with how the nine-year-old takes to being back in work, he will not hesitate in retiring him.

At the moment, Elliott reports the recuperation to be going swimmingly with Don Cossack undergoing regular road work.

The horse, also owned by Gigginstown, was last seen winning Cheltenham's most coveted prize in March.

He subsequently suffered a tendon injury when being prepared for the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup in April.

'He's going into his sixth week on the roads having roadwork and the scans have been very good. I saw him last Sunday week and the legs felt good,' Elliott told At The Races.

'When a horse gets a ligament injury it's day by day, but it seems to be going good and we'll have back here at Cullentra in the next two or three weeks and it's all systems go.

'We're under no illusions. If he's not 120 per cent right at this stage, we'll retire him. He's been a wonderful horse, so we'll do the best thing for the horse.'