Michael O’Sullivan was taken far too soon – but lost his life doing what he loved

LOVED. Talented. Liked. Young. As most of you will be aware by now, jockey Michael O’Sullivan passed over the weekend being all the above. His loss will be felt by his family and friends forever. Racing fans will miss watching a lad who was bred for the game and had so much more to show. Jockeys don’t become riders for our enjoyment. But as watchers and people who love this game we all appreciate the dangers involved.

No jockey is forced to ply their trade. But they do so knowing that any ride could result in a serious injury or, as in this case, worse. Michael - who was remembered as a 'beautiful person' - fell at Thurles on February 6. A head trauma meant from that day he was in an induced coma in the intensive care unit at Cork University. He never regained consciousness. It makes you wonder why anyone would become a jockey. Why take such risks?.

“For me it’s the simplest of answers to any question - the horses themselves,” leading rider Sam Twiston-Davies told me. “You get to meet so many horses. You like some. You hate some. You love some. You get every emotion you can imagine and when you find one that is very good there is no better feeling. It’s truly for me why I wanted to become a jockey.". Nico de Boinville said similar, adding: "It's the love of horses and probably being slightly mad.".

British champion Harry Cobden said: "Nothing can compare to the thrill of riding a winner - it overpowers all the undulations in our sport as a jockey. "I grew up watching AP McCoy and Ruby Walsh on the telly, and from the age of nine it was all I ever wanted to be.". Michael was a Cheltenham Festival hero, landing the 2023 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Marine Nationale. Without doubt, he was a man who would have showed us much more of his skills in the years ahead. His career was just starting.

On the occasions I was lucky enough to interview Michael - including for ITV Racing after his emotional victory on Marine Nationale - he came across as the kind of guy you would always listen to. He was emotional. Here was a man who thought about his words, and articulated them with care. Wee Charlie, the horse Michael came down from, had provided his rider with a fabulous win at Galway back in September of last year.

In many ways they were good friends. Ultimately their final outing together ended in tragedy. But Michael was born to ride horses. It’s what he loved doing. And crikey he was good at it. It's clear when you read what Sam, Nico and Harry have said that Michael would not have wanted his life to have gone down any other route. He was living his dream - the dream of most jockeys. It's just gutting that at the age of 24 he has been taken far too soon. Everyone will miss him.

Elsewhere, former Grand National hero Noble Yeats might well be off for a little hunting, for all he’s not at Aintree this year. It was about six weeks ago that trainer Emmet Mullins revealed Noble Yeats, the 2022 Aintree hero who was fourth in the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup, was being sent back to his owner Robert Waley-Cohen’s base. The latter’s son, Sam, who rode Noble Yeats to National success, was at Ascot on Saturday and said: “Noble Yeats has got a few aches and pains but we are not thinking of retirement at this stage.