RACING reporter Kate Harrington has vowed that she and disgraced trainer Gordon Elliott will stick together through the storm.
And Harrington, 31, stressed last night: “Gordon is a great boyfriend.”
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory board, the sport’s governing body in Ireland, has banned Elliott for 12 months, six of them suspended, after a picture emerged of him sitting on a dead horse.
He has also been fined £13,000.
Mystery remains why the photograph, which was taken in 2019, has been produced now, and by whom.
Elliott has apologised profusely for a ‘moment of madness’ and underlined his respect for all racehorses.
Talk continues to spread that Elliott put on a Valentine’s Day party at his County Meath stables and that Harrington was involved in an altercation with another woman present at the event.
But the Racing TV presenter launched a scathing attack on the rumour-mongers.
She stormed: “I won’t let anyone pull me into any incredibly damaging and untrue gossip.
“I won’t let anyone damage my reputation and business with lies and innuendo. I won’t let them.”
A close friend said: “Kate is outraged. Anyone would be outraged.
“Kate and Gordon are very much girlfriend and boyfriend.
“They had an exchange. There was a discussion between them.”
Elliott, 43, will not confirm that he and Kate are still together or whether he would like her alongside during his suspension.
Harrington is a former amateur champion jockey.
When not on reporting and analyst duties for RTV she assists her mother, Jessica, at their highly successful stable in Leinster.