Barry Connell’s duo, Marine Nationale and Good Land, give young jockey Michael O’Sullivan a prime pair of Grade One chances
“They buried him in front of the old house, my grandmother’s house. He’s [under] two big oak trees below in the garden,” O’Sullivan says, recalling how Lovely Citizen’s name was a constant growing up. “It’s all we heard, how good it was; we were sick of hearing it, wanted to talk about something else!”
It is a massive opportunity for the 22-year-old from Lombardstown near Mallow, who only turned professional last year and can’t employ the 5lb allowance he’s entitled to because they are both Grade One races. A champion young point-to-point rider, he delayed his entry into the paid ranks until graduating from a four-year Agricultural Science degree in University College Dublin.
The latest O’Sullivan to tackle the festival does so with Grade One successes already under his belt courtesy of Marine Nationale in December’s Royal Bond Hurdle and Good Land striking at last month’s Dublin Racing Festival.Connell exudes confidence in their chances, helped perhaps by the cool conviction shown under pressure by O’Sullivan so far.
His meteoric success this season shows he’s a quick learner, but he will be under the microscope next week. Connell, too, is going into virgin territory. He has owned festival winners, but never trained one. It might be unspoken but he needs his punt on O’Sullivan to pay off. Michael O’Sullivan, on board Good Land, winning the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors €50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown last month. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
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