The Dooner Citizen a popular local winner for O'Sullivans Having sneaked in as a reserve, The Dooner Citizen stayed on late under Alan O'Sullivan to win Division ll of the Tesla Handicap Hurdle at Cork. Trained locally by the winning jockeys uncle, Eugene O'Sullivan, the seven-year-old was stepping up two places having finished third over an inadequate trip here last time. Having also filled a similar position over course and distance in December, the Dansant gelding clearly likes to stay close to home. Racing prominently as tends to be his style, the eventual winner pressed leader Tell Nobody Nothin entering the home straight. As the latter weakened after a mistake two out, The Dooner Citizen went on under O'Sullivan. Strongly pressed by both Mellem and T Or Coffey on the run-in, he kept on to score by three-quarters-of-length. Eugene O'Sullivan said: "We were lucky to get in today (as third reserve) and with closing time being 11am, he got in only with 13 minutes to spare. We wanted to come as he finished third here last month but were lucky. "He is from our old family and we still have some of the pedigree. It took him a long time to get to today but he had been very consistent and might win again hopefully. "I'm delighted for Alan, it was a pity his father William wasn't here but he was too busy at home." Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.
