IT was a case of Gordon’s army are on their way as trainer Gordon Elliott showed off the majority of his team for the Cheltenham Festival at a media morning on Tuesday. Forty three horses were on show led in the gallops by Apple’s Jade and he expects the team to number up to 50 by Cheltenham week.

Elliott has won the Irish Independent Leading Trainer Award at the Festival for the last two years, saddling six winners in 2017 and enjoying a record-equalling eight successes in 2018.