Cheltenham renames race in memory of O’Sullivan

In honor of jockey Michael O’Sullivan, the opening race of the upcoming Cheltenham Festival will be renamed.

Irish rider O’Sullivan, 24, died on 16 February, 10 days after a fall at Thurles.

The Sky Bet Supreme Novices ‘ Hurdle – the Festival’s first race on 11 March – will now be named the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices ‘ Hurdle.

O’Sullivan rose to fame after taking home the victory on Marine Nationale two years prior, and he was the leading jockey on Jazzy Matty’s debut day in 2023.

“We are deeply proud of Michael’s incredible talent and the legacy he left in the world of racing”, said O’Sullivan’s family.

“Renaming the race that marked the pinnacle of his career is a fitting tribute to his skill, dedication, and passion for the sport.

We have always admired Michael’s accomplishments, both on and off the track, and it means a lot to us to see his talent recognized in this way. The magnitude of his impact on so many lives has been demonstrated by the outpouring of tributes over the past week.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Sky Bet and The Jockey Club for allowing us to honor Michael and celebrate his distinguished career.”

When O’Sullivan fell at the final fence of a two-mile handicap chase, he had been training with trainer Gerard O’Leary’s Wee Charlie at Thurles.

He underwent surgery at the County Tipperary track before being flown to a hospital by air ambulance, but he underwent no recovery.

O’Sullivan won his first championship in conditional jockey at Cork in 2018 before going on to become Irish champion in the same year.

Over the course of his career, he rode 95 victories, including 14 in Ireland and two in Britain this year.

You can tell from the heartfelt tributes paid to him over the past few days how well-known he was in the racing industry on both sides of the Irish Sea and beyond, said Cheltenham CEO Guy Lavender.