Equinties - Michael O'Sullivan

Gm Equinauts

Racing is in mourning over the tragic loss of Michael ‘Mikey’ O’Sullivan who sadly succumbed to his injuries sustained from his racing accident at Thurles last week.

Hailing from a family embedded in Irish racing, he was a bright rider very much on an upwards trajectory to the very top and his CV, at just 24 years of age, spoke for itself.

Amidst his growing tally of domestic wins, the big days didn’t phase him; he landed his first Graded win came on ENNISKERRY in September 2022; won Grade 1's on MARINE NATIONALE and GOOD LAND and bagged the Leinster National on ESPANITO BELLO.

The British contingent of racing fans will know him best for his two brilliant Cheltenham wins on MARINE NATIONALE in the Supreme and JAZZY MATTY in the Boodles and then the French really got to know the name Mikey O’Sullivan when he achieved success in the Prix de Chantilly on GURZUF for Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm in June 2024.

His most recent and sadly his last Graded success came on EMBASSY GARDEN’s in the New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore in January 2025.

We could write all we like about his talent and victories on the track but we thought it more fitting to fill this space with words from Mikey’s friends and family who knew him best:

Rest in peace, champ.

Let’s dive in.

HEADINE ROUND UP

PIC OF THE BUNCH

Paul Nicholls and the King George are synonymous with each other. He’s the leading trainer with 13 successes, he won four renewals between 2018-2022, and he trained the mighty KAUTO STAR to his five victories.

BRAVEMANSGAME has been his main hope over the last few years, but that hasn’t gone too well for him, so he’ll probably be looking for a new horse next year. Maybe CALDWELL POTTER could be tried up in trip? KALIF DU BERLAIS always has the option of an easy three miles as well.

But, might it be time for Nicholls to campaign PIC D’ORHY towards the Christmas showcase?

He’s been a conservatively campaigned horse, but for good reason. He’s picked up over £930,000 in prize money from winning various Grade 2s and Grade 1s, which some might argue were poor, but he’s still turned up every time he was supposed to.

And absolutely NO ONE can say anything negative about his demolition job on Saturday’s field in the Ascot chase. It was simply brilliant.

He drifted before the off, the money coming for JP’s CORBETT’S CROSS, perhaps a strong symptom of how modest punters viewed PIC D’ORHY’s efforts to date had been. Probably because he’s not a ‘Cheltenham horse’.

Well, those punters’ slips are all in the bin because he absolutely bolted up!

He gave a superior show of savage speed and slick jumping, grinding them down into submission; L’HOMME PRESSE was first to break, pulling up after not even being able to lay upsides and then CORBETTS CROSS packed it in, trailing in a remoted second after an awful round of cork-screwing every fence. The others didn’t even get a whiff.

The market sentiment was that he doesn’t get the respect he deserves and we get it, but that can be kiboshed now and we wouldn’t think it over-ambitious should Nicholls look for a career defining race for him next season. And that could be the King George.

Yes, we admit, he would be one week away from being 11 if he lined up in the 2025 King George, and this would mean he has to race away from his beloved Ascot, but he’s done that well before. He finished second to BANBRIDGE at Kempton when giving weight away in the 2024 Silviniaco Conti, and Kempton is fairly similar to Ascot with its flat, right-handed nature.

He’s not getting any younger,11 is fine. He’s clearly in the form of his life and they could easily make that the aim. Run him in that 1965 Chase in November and then kick on.

On Saturday’s success, and what it meant to the team, Nicholls said: "I love the challenge and over the past four or five weeks it's been challenging, but days like this and horses like this make it all worthwhile.

"We've had a few problems with some of the horses not being quite right at home and you have little doubts, but in the paddock I thought Threeunderthrufive in the last race and Pic D'Orhy looked as good as I've seen them look all season and they both ran like it."

"I've got to say I enjoyed that and today was always the day with this horse. He's a proper horse and his owners Johnny and Sammy de la Hey, who have had a bit of a lean time themselves, deserve that. That's nearly a career-best from Pic D'Orhy; he was awesome today."

More: https://www.racingpost.com/news/reports/pic-dorhy-secures-back-to-back-ascot-chase-wins-with-sublime-run-from-the-front-as-lhomme-presse-is-pulled-up-aMG8w9O7hmxH/

COUNTY CHANCE

The market was screaming for GOLDEN ACE before the Kingwell and it’s cries proved right. The drop back to two miles worked, and that turn of foot she showed to win the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle last season reappeared.

It was a strong heat, the second, BURDETT ROAD, ran a fine race, and it makes for an interesting to work out what he should do next.

Should he run in a Champion Hurdle to finish behind CONSTITUTION HILL, or should he maybe skip Cheltenham altogether?

Well, it could potentially be neither of those options as a Cheltenham Festival handicap could be the one!

Yes, the County Hurdle on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival could be for him, he’s currently rated 150 and Alex Chadwick could claim another 5lbs off.

He may get a few pounds from the handicapper for finishing second in a Grade 2, but still, in a year where not much is standing out in the County just yet, he could well have the class angle. We don’t mind the shout from James Owen, and he’s still unexposed in handicaps having won the Greatwood in November.

As for GOLDEN ACE, it looks like she is going to the Champion Hurdle. Well, when you have a mare like her, you may as well. Jeremy ascot said: “I’m so delighted. The front two were really tough and she’s had to battle there. She didn’t travel as well as I thought she should and her jumping at times wasn’t as good as it could be. Halfway round I thought things really weren't looking good.

“That’s huge for us. We’ll have to head to Cheltenham now and make a decision as to where we go. We didn’t have heaps in hand over Burdett Road, which we might need if we’re going for a Champion Hurdle, but she hasn’t looked to see out the two and a half miles this season."

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

JOYEUX MACHIN - SATURDAY 14.25 ASCOT

We weren’t sure what the Skelton’s were doing with JOYEUX MACHIN this season, but the picture is a bit clearer after Saturday. It was a case of is he any good or are the Skelton’s cheating with him? Well, it was kind of the latter.

He had a pipe opener at Cheltenham and then did the same in a Grade 2 after that, though he returned to form at Wetherby earlier this month before this weekend.
As for Saturday, Harry Skelton gave him plenty to do and he thundered home to finish second behind the nice ALTOBELLI.

He’s got a mark of 133, and he might get a pound or two after Saturday, but he can go well in something like a Coral Cup/Martin Pipe.

TERRESITA - SATURDAY 15.00 ASCOT

We have always liked TERRESITA. We actually highlighted her as an eye-catcher in our January 14th, 2024 edition when she was rated just 112. Now, she is rated 140 and she put in a proper shift off her weight in the Swinley Handicap Chase.

We thought she might have too much weight to carry on the weekend but she found it fine. She thundered home to finish third to VICTTORINO and THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE, two horses who had probably been targeted to the race.

She could continue in handicaps going forward or she can step into graded company in time. She’s just a nice, honest horse.

RISK ON

A brilliant days punting on Saturday with big prices in THE CHANGING MAN and VICTTORINO landing as well as others, let’s push on. Today we’ll play:

18.30 MARIOENTO

The step up will be sure to suit and he should prove the best in this lowly race. Lev with BRYANT for George Scott who will win.

SMALL STAKES 25/1 FAVES ACCA:

15.20 JOLTIN N JIVING

17.05 BROUGHSHANE

17.30 BRYANT

18.30 MARIOENTO

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