O'Sullivan rides first 'Citizen' winner

Michael O'Sullivan steered his first racecourse winner on a 'Citizen' prefixed horse at Sligo today, landing the Mullaghmore Beach Handicap Hurdle on his uncle trainer Eugene O'Sullivan's Citizen's Army

Citizen's Army continues a half-century long tradition of O'Sullivan-family named horses carrying the 'Citizen' prefix, with the winning rider's father William O'Sullivan landing the 1991 Cheltenham Foxhunters Chase on Lovely Citizen.

Today Citizen's Army, a daughter of Scorpion, battled gamely on the run-in to fight off Padraic's Choice and win by half a length, to provide the successful jockey with an eighth racecourse win.

Afterwards trainer Eugene O'Sullivan stated “she’s a lovely mare. She ran very well here two runs back, when she was unlucky to meet a well-handicapped horse (All Class) and the ground was a bit quick for her, and ran well the last day in Mallow over a shorter trip.

“She’s a good battler and loved the bit of ease in the ground. There’s a nice mares’ handicap in Listowel and hopefully we’ll go for that."

Quotes from Mark Nunan