Citizen's Army (left) jumps the last alongside Padraic's Choice© Photo Healy Racing
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
