Aussie reinswoman eyes 150th win - 15,000 km away in USA

For more than two years, former Victorian harness racing reinswoman Shannon O’Sullivan barely went near a horse.

The talented driver had notched up 149 wins before stepping away in 2024 for backpacking adventures in the northern hemisphere, motivated by the chance to discover more about herself away from the sport that had shaped her life.

Ironically, that journey has come a full circle and brought her right back to where she started – but 15,000 kilometres from home.

Now based in New Jersey with renowned Australian expatriate trainer Noel Daley, O’Sullivan has climbed back into the race bike and is chasing a fresh chapter in the United States, where she hopes regular race drives can reignite the career she once placed on hold.

“It feels like everything has fallen into place,” O’Sullivan said.

“I really gave myself the space to find an identity outside of racing while I was in Canada,” she said.

“I always kept up with the horses through Dad (hall-of-famer and Inter Dominion winning trainer-driver Jim O’Sullivan) and (brother) Sean. Sean and I talk most days and we’re always going through the races. But I wasn’t even sure if driving was my future anymore.”

O’Sullivan had already accepted a position working for Daley when she cheekily enquired about competing in the annual International Women’s Day feature at The Meadowlands – despite not holding a current licence and not having driven in a race for more than two years.

Nothing came of it. Then, just days before the meeting she had a call from fellow Australian reinswoman Lauren Tritton, now based with her husband Shane at Pine Bush New York.

“They were one driver short and I got an SOS from Lauren,” O’Sullivan laughed.

“Within 12 hours everything was sorted to have my first race drive back at The Meadowlands, which was really a pinch-me moment. I ended up picking up two drives that night. One ran a terrific second and the other finished fifth.

“It was honestly the most fun I’ve had being back in the bike. It felt like I never left. There were definitely some nerves, but I just made sure I embraced the moment and enjoyed it.

“It’s always been a childhood dream to drive at The Meadowlands, so to finally get that chance was incredible.”

The spark for a return to harness racing began when Sean was awarded an opportunity to drive in the Prix des Rencontres Internationales du Trotteur Français at Vincennes and to work alongside world-renowned horseman Jean-Michel Bazire at the Domaine de Grosbois training centre in Paris.

“Mitch Barker (Victorian trainer now working for Daley, based in Kentucky) had actually offered Sean a job after his trip to France, but Sean couldn’t take it up,” she said.

“He knew I wanted to get back into horses, and I wasn’t ready to come home yet. I needed a job because my visa was up in Canada so the offer ended up coming to me. It’s worked out unbelievably well.”

Noel Daley’s stable, with more than 100 horses in work, has quickly become the ideal environment for O’Sullivan’s comeback.

“Noel is one of the best blokes around. I couldn’t ask to work for anyone better. It’s crazy how well the stable is run and these horses are the best looked after animals I have ever seen,” she said.

“Noel’s one of the best in the business, so easy to work for and he gives everyone opportunities.  We’ve got horses worth millions of dollars and horses that have paced in 1:47. It’s surreal to think I get to be around those sorts of horses every day.

“And getting race drives as well is really just the cherry on top.”

Her first official race drive from the Daley stable came at Pocono Downs last weekend, with O’Sullivan hopeful more opportunities will follow.

While adapting to American racing has presented fresh challenges, she’s embracing every one of them.

“The racing style here is completely different.  The bikes are different, the way they drive is different and the speed is different. It takes a little while to wrap your head around it, but once I get used to it, I’ll be getting the lean just right in the bike!” she said.

“And that’s exactly why I wanted to do it. If it was going to be the same as Australia I’d probably just go home and do it there. This is outside my comfort zone and that’s what makes it exciting.”

Lining up alongside some of North America’s biggest names has also required an adjustment.

“It’s a little intimidating,” she admitted.

“These are drivers I’ve spent years watching from Australia, dreaming of one day meeting them, and now I’m lining up beside them behind the gate.

“Everyone has been fantastic. Todd and Andy McCarthy have been amazing, introducing me to people and helping me with race form. Everyone’s been so supportive and happy to help, it’s a great environment to be in and it really makes trying to move out here an easier decision as the days go by!”

The experience has also reinforced something O’Sullivan wasn’t expecting when she first packed her bags – the potential for the Northern Hemisphere lifestyle to offer exactly the balance she’s been searching for.

“I really enjoy living over here, and this stint is to see if this is where I would want to be driving horses” she said.

“It’s much easier to travel to the countries I still want to explore, but at the same time I can pursue my dream of race driving. The lifestyle seems a bit more manageable, where you can have a balance between work and life.

“That’s really what I want – to be able to travel and explore the world while still driving horses. The way everything has fallen into place makes me think there could be a future where I can have that.”

 

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink