2000 UK and Irish winners for Gordon Elliott

Jumps trainer Gordon Elliott was toasting a 2000th winner in Britain and Ireland after Ted Hastings took victory at Ayr.

The controversial figure Eliott survived a photo scandal and returned to training and now has crossed the 2000 mark after 13/8 favourite Ted Hastings cruised to a seven and a half lengths over Maifalki in Scotland.

"It's nice to get it for Aidan (Ryan, owner). He's been patient with this horse. He's galloped like a nice horse at home, but things haven't worked out. We said we'd bring him here and go left-handed.

"I love coming racing to these tracks, they look after us second to none."

The achievement is all the more significant as Elliott doesn't come from one of the traditional Irish racing dynasties as his family had no real link to racing.

A first Aintree Grand National win came in 2007 with Silver Birch and he became world famous thanks to the exploits of the legendary Tiger Roll who added a couple more Nationals in 2018 and 2019.

"It was a bit frustrating for the last couple of days as I thought I had it (2,000th winner), then someone said there was the horse disqualified and I was counting the winners I had in America.

"I suppose Tiger Roll winning the second Grand National was very special and Don Cossack winning the Gold Cup. They're all important to me, whether it's winners in Downpatrick or Listowel or Newton Abbot or Perth, I just love training winners and that's what I get up to do every morning.