In news that has shocked the international racing community, Racing TV reports that jockey Michael O’Sullivan has died from the injuries he suffered in a fall ten days ago.
The 25-year-old was a rising star of the weighing room, and his death will cause shock and sorrow in a close-knit sport where the riders are united by balancing risk and reward on a daily basis.
O’Sullivan was lauded for his calm approach on the racecourse and his gentlemanly conduct off it.
He had been in a critical condition since his fall aboard the Gerard O’Leary-trained Wee Charlie in a two-mile handicap chase at Thurles on February 6.
The combination were one of three fallers at the final fence, with two other runners being badly hampered and unseating their riders at the same obstacle.
Four jockeys walked back the weighing-room relatively unscathed, but it was instantly clear that O’Sullivan had been badly hurt in the melee.
He received immediate medical attention at the County Tipperary racecourse before being transferred by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital, about 70 miles away. The rest of the meeting was abandoned.
O’Sullivan was taken to the intensive care unit with his family, at his bedside throughout, again expressing their gratitude for the well wishes he had received on Saturday morning.
Unusually tall for a jockey at about 6ft, O’Sullivan was champion conditional in Ireland in 2022-23 and rode 87 winners from more than 1000 rides over Jumps in Ireland, including in the colours of his father, Willie, on horses trained by his uncle, Eugene.
His many admirers included champion trainer Willie Mullins, who had described him as a “big part of the team at Closutton”.
It was only on New Year’s Day that O’Sullivan guided the Mullins-trained Embassy Gardens to a Grade Three success at Tramore.
O’Sullivan also finished sixth on Embassy Gardens in a pulsating Irish Gold Cup won by Galopin Des Champs at this month’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
A few days before taking part in one of the biggest races of the season, he had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat aboard Putapoundinthejar in a maiden hurdle at Down Royal. It was to be his final victory.
O’Sullivan had announced himself to British racing fans at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023, when he rode a glittering double on the opening day of the meeting.
He landed the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Marine Nationale for Barry Connell, and then scooped the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle on Jazzy Matty for Gordon Elliott, having only joined the professional ranks the previous year.
The quiet but confident young man had shone bright on racing’s grandest stage.
His Dad, Willie, a former amateur rider who won the 1991 Foxhunters Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Lovely Citizen, was among the 60,000 crowd gripped by the action.
“I couldn’t be prouder, it’s brilliant to be here,” he told Racing TV viewers. “He’s worked very hard at his riding all his life, since he started. He really deserves it.
“He was always very level-headed and always thought a lot about what he was doing. He was very committed to studies and then when he started he riding he was very committed to getting things right before he even sat on the horses, studying the form and that.”
The feeling was mutual. O’Sullivan Jr said: “Dad’s amazing. I grew up listening to stories about how good he was; he was a Festival winner and a very accomplished amateur.
“In fairness to Dad, he never pushed me too much, but when he saw I had an interest he gave me every opportunity. He drove me all over the country, and spent a lot of money sending me eventing and show-jumping. He’s put a lot of time into me.”
O’Sullivan seemed destined to scale greater heights, even if this season had brought challenges, including a split with Connell in November.
His death will cast a shadow over a sport which is gearing up for next month’s four-day Cheltenham Festival, the biggest meeting of the Jumps’ season.
O’Sullivan’s younger brother, Alan, rides as an amateur.
It was just over a year ago that Keagan Kirkby, 25, died after being injured at Charing point-to-point, in Kent, which came soon after Japanese jockey Kosuke Matsumoto and Polish rider Dominik Pastuszka had died in other incidents in Japan and Italy, respectively.
Stefano Cherchi, 23, died in April of last year after a fall in a Flat race in Australia.
- www.racingtv.com
