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Michael O’Sullivan, who was airlifted to hospital after being injured in a fall at Thurles on Thursday, remains in intensive care, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board said in an update on the jockey’s condition on Friday.
O’Sullivan was riding Wee Charlie in a two-mile handicap chase when he was involved in a five-horse melee at the final fence. Three horses, including Wee Charlie, fell while two more unseated their jockeys.
He was attended to by the racecourse’s medical team before being taken to Cork University hospital by air ambulance. All the other riders and horses involved in the incident were uninjured.
“Michael is in the intensive care unit at Cork University hospital being treated for his injuries sustained at Thurles yesterday and is receiving the best medical care,” Dr Jennifer Pugh, the IHRB’s chief medical officer, said on Friday morning. “Michael’s family wish to express their gratitude for all the well wishes.”
O’Sullivan, 25, who is in his ninth season with a licence, has ridden three Grade One winners during his career and enjoyed his finest moment to date when steering Marine Nationale to victory in the Supreme Novice Hurdle, the opening race of Cheltenham’s festival meeting, in 2023.
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He rode the same horse to win the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle earlier in the season, and also landed a Grade One novice hurdle at the Dublin racing festival in February 2023.
His three victories at the highest level all came during a three-year association with Barry Connell’s stable, but the trainer announced an unexpected split in the partnership in November after a dispute over the rider’s availability for a schooling session.
O’Sullivan has subsequently been riding as a freelance for trainers including Willie Mullins and Pat Foley, and rode two horses for the French-based partnership of Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm at Ascot in November.
