Former lady point-to-point champion rider Aileen O’Sullivan has taken out a conditionals licence and will have her first ride as a professional aboard Drimsee Lad at Down Royal on Wednesday 17th March.
The Meath native was crowned joint-ladies champion in 2016, this was quite a remarkable feat as it was the same season in which she recorded her initial career win.
That first success came courtesy of the Alison Murphy trained An Tiora Dall at Rockfield in November 2015, O’Sullivan have a further five winners that season to share the title with Liz Lalor and Sheila Ahern.
O’Sullivan is somewhat of a Corinthian rider as she balances working full-time with AIB with riding out and going point-to-pointing every weekend.
The former champion shot to fame earlier this season when registering her first winner under rules aboard her own American Image in the Clonmel Handicap Chase. The interview she gave to Kevin O’Ryan on Racing TV immediately after the success proved to be a big hit on social media and also gained notable mainstream coverage when it was included on the RTÉ 6.01 News programme later that evening.
Aileen O’Sullivan has partnered 8 winners between the flags from 129 rides, her biggest supporters to date have been Sean Gallagher and her father Denis O’Sullivan.
