'He is looking down on me since the day he left us:' Alan O'Sullivan hails brother Michael after emotional Galway win

The feature event on the first evening of the week-long festival at Ballybrit is restricted to amateur riders and it was Alan O'Sullivan - brother of the late Michael O'Sullivan, who tragically died in February following injuries suffered in a fall at Thurles - who shone in the saddle.

Mon, 28 Jul, 2025 - 19:09

Tommy Lyons, Ballybrit

Galway is all things to everyone: A haven for the homebird holidaymaker, a pilgrimage for the punter, a party for the casual racegoer, a feast for Flat aficionados, and jaunt for the jumps enthusiasts.

Seldom, in that cauldron of revelry, does the action fail to pull at the heart strings, and on Monday evening emotions ran high after Alan O’Sullivan rode Filey Bay to victory in the feature, the Connacht Hotel Qualified Riders’ Handicap.

The Lombardstown native, whose brother Michael so tragically lost his life in a racing accident in February, was visibly moved as he fulfilled a dream to win this coveted race for amateurs, doing so with a saddle emblazoned with his late brother’s initials.

For Emmet Mullins it was a second win in the race, two years on from Teed Up, and further evidence of his innate ability to target a race, this one with a JP McManus-owned nine-year-old who had raced just once in the previous 21 months.

“I can’t put it into words,” said O’Sullivan, earnestly. “It’s unbelievable. It was my first ride in the race, and my goal at the start of the year was to be good enough that hopefully someone might want me for this, so to win it is crazy.”

Recalling how the race unfolded, he explained: “I missed the break and got stopped a couple of times, but everything kind of helped me. He can run on his nerves a bit, but every time he got knocked back, he came back underneath me. He settled like a dream and then when I wanted the gaps, they came for me.

“If I got any bit of a gap, I had the horse to take it, and he galloped all the way to the line. I got a dream run. I probably went the brave man’s route, but I thought it was what Mikey would have done.”

The market suggested confidence was high, with a move from 20-1 down to 7-1 confirming such, and while O’Sullivan was unaware of that move, he was aware that his trainer was quite confident of a big run.

“Emmet knew,” he added. “I’ve been in there a couple of times recently and I’ve sat on this fella a couple of times, and Emmet told me he had a good squeak. So, when he rang me on Saturday morning, at half ten, to tell me he had me on him, I tried not to get too excited over the phone, but I was buzzing.

“It’s an unbelievable training performance. Emmet put his neck on the line to get me on this horse, and I’ll owe him one forever. I’m grateful to him and to Mr McManus and Mr Berry. I'm not one of Mr McManus's riders and it's my first time riding in these colours, but they thought he had a good chance and to put the confidence in me, I’m so happy I was able to pay them back.

“It’s massive to win this. Maybe the Cheltenham Foxhunters’ and then this is a very close second. It’s a dream come true.”

With his brother never far from his thoughts, O’Sullivan admitted: “He is looking down on me since the day he left us. It feels wrong to say it, but I just have so much confidence now knowing that he is looking down on me and to do this for him, I think he'd be proud.”