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O'Sullivan eagerly awaits Navan Session

Sea Sessions should be fit for Navan after a couple of outings on the flat recently Sea Sessions should be fit for Navan after a couple of outings on the flat recently
© Photo Healy Racing

Trainer Ross O'Sullivan enjoyed a fine campaign with juvenile hurdler Sea Sessions last season and the Kildare man is expecting a big run from his charge in the Hotel Park St Johann In Tirol Austria Handicap Hurdle at Navan.

After failing to sell in a couple of three-year-old Claimers last summer, the daughter of Territories proved a much better animal once switching to hurdles.

With the benefit of two comeback runs on the level recently, O'Sullivan expects his filly to be approaching her peak for Sunday.

"She was a very good filly for us last year and she got black-type - she won the Listed race in Aintree and was second in the Listed race in Doncaster, just beaten on the line; he said.

"We gave her a long break after the summer and it took a long time to get her back into shape. She had two Flat runs recently just to get her back in shape, she takes a while to get ready. She seems to be coming to herself now. I'm really looking forward to the weekend.

"She can be contrary, she's a very sassy sort of a lady but, for all her quirks, she is a good filly and she is worth minding. I'm really looking forward to her this year and all going well she will run on Sunday.

"We are hoping to get a little bit more black-type for her, she will probably go back to England again. The man that owns her is from England and he is keen for her to go back there before Christmas."

On Champella who won a mares' hurdle at Wexford last month, O'Sullivan added; "She is on a little break at the minute and she is going to be back for the Dublin Racing Festival in February. She probably won't be out before then.

"She is a lovely filly and she is improving all the time. She has won three races this year as a four-year-old and she just looks like a filly on the improve. She is going the right direction.

"There are a couple of nice races in the spring time for her. She just was on the go for a good while, so we just said we would give her an easy time of it for the next month or six weeks, but we are really looking forward to her after Christmas."

Additional reporting by Michael Graham

About John O'Riordan
John has worked for the Press Association since 2022. He also writes a weekly column for The Irish Field and is a regular contributor to the Irish Racing Yearbook. He has previously written for the Racing Post, Irish Examiner and Irish Daily Mirror. He has been involved in racing for over three decades; having experience as a syndicate member, sole owner and breeder.