WILLIE MULLINS described tragic Michael O’Sullivan as ‘a credit to his family’ while Barry Geraghty said he was a ‘beautiful person’ amid a flood of tributes for the late jockey.
There is widespread grief in racing circles after the deeply upsetting death of the 24-year-old, 10 days after a terrible fall at Thurles.
PATributes have poured in for the late jockey Michael O’Sullivan[/caption]
PAHe enjoyed his finest day in the saddle at Cheltenham when Marine Nationale won the 2023 Supreme[/caption]
But the reaction and tributes from his friends and colleagues in Britain and Ireland paint a picture of a young man who was as well-liked as he was respected.
And his talent was not just confined to the saddle. Before turning professional, the Cork native earned a degree in Agricultural Science and the University College of Dublin and he was fluent in French.
He stood out as a tremendous riding talent, though, and burst onto the scene in 2022 after teaming up with Barry Connell, winning Grade 1s on Marine Nationale and Good Land.
That partnership came to an unfortunate end in November when the two men had a disagreement about schooling arrangements for some of Connell’s horses.
As a result, O’Sullivan was given opportunities by several different trainers, including champion trainer Mullins for whom he rode a Grade 3 winner on New Year’s Day.
Mullins said: “It’s dreadful news which puts all our problems into context. He will be much missed here and there is a real sadness over the whole of Closutton today.
“He was here two mornings a week and was very much a part of the team at Closutton and his part here was only going to get bigger. He was such a natural rider who was very modest, friendly and understated.
“He had a great understanding of horses and racing and given the horse, he was the man.
“I think Closutton will be a much poorer place without him and we, as a family, will miss him. He will be much missed in the yard and we have his family in our thoughts and our prayers are for them now. He was a credit to his family. May he rest in peace.”
Connell and O’Sullivan’s working relationship came to an abrupt end a few months ago, but news of the jockey’s death hit the trainer and his staff especially hard.
He said:“He was a bright, rising star as a jockey and we were lucky to have had a very close association with him.
“Everybody in the yard is devastated. He was such a lovely personality to have around the place, he fitted in really well. He was widely liked by his colleagues and everyone who met him.
“I think everyone in racing is stunned today and all we can do is express our sympathy to his parents, William and Bernadette, and his brother, Alan. He will be sadly missed.”
O’Sullivan’s famous victory at Cheltenham on Marine Nationale in 2023 was the first-leg of an opening day Festival double, as he later bagged the Fred Winter on Gordon Elliott’s Jazzy Matty.
Connell added: “We were in the parade ring the following day and one of the officials came out with the golden armband and gave it to me and said ‘put that on Michael’.
“He was the leading rider after the first day of Cheltenham which was a remarkable achievement. He was an inspiration to lots of young jockeys in Ireland.”
Legendary rider Barry Geraghty, who retired in 2020 while O’Sullivan was still an amateur, said his death will have completely devastated his colleagues.
Geraghty said: “He was such a lovely, kind person. He was quietly spoken, humble and very intelligent and well educated.
“He had a lovely way about him and the weighing room is a broken place because of that. They’ve lost such a beautiful person.”
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