Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Michael O’Sullivan has been transferred by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital after being injured in a fall at Thurles on Thursday.
The 24-year-old rider was on board the Ger O’Leary-trained Wee Charlie in a handicap chase, the second race on the card, when he was one of three fallers at the final fence.
Racing was delayed as officials awaited the arrival of an air ambulance. Once it arrived O’Sullivan was taken to Cork. The rest of the meeting was abandoned.
O’Sullivan, from Lombardstown near Mallow, Co Cork rose to prominence at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
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He partnered the Barry Connell owned and trained Marine Nationale to victory in the Supreme Novices Hurdle and completed a double on the same day when successful on Jazzy Matty for Gordon Elliott.
It was a notably quick progression to the top echelon of the sport for the former point to point rider. O’Sullivan had graduated from University College Dublin a year earlier with a degree in Agricultural Science.
Having been Connell’s retained rider, the pair split in November and O’Sullivan has since been riding for other trainers including Willie Mullins. He has had 14 winners in Ireland this season and two in Britain.
A spokesman for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board said: “Michael O’Sullivan had a fall in Race Two at Thurles and was treated for injuries. He was stabilised on the track by medical personnel at Thurles before he was transferred by air ambulance to CUH.”
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