Shannon excited by ‘opportunities’ across the Tasman

Not long after landing a knockout blow to harness racing punters with a long-odds metropolitan win at Melton on April 1, young driver Shannon O’Sullivan was on a plane bound for New Zealand ready to hone her craft some more.

The 21-year-old, who lifted Modern Bliss to that victory less than 24 hours after his 32m Ararat Pacing Cup defeat, has teamed up with respected Kiwi trainers Robert and Jenna Dunn during a short working holiday across the Tasman.

And O’Sullivan has even driven in two races during her stay. She finished seventh with the Dunn-trained Maybe on the grass at Motukarara on Monday before a fifth placing with the Ivan Court-prepared Bondi Lustre at Addington on Thursday.

“I’ve just been driving a lot of track work on the beach. They have about 55-plus horses in work here at the Southland stables,” O’Sullivan told thetrots.com.au.

“I should be here until the end of April, but have been getting some awesome opportunities driving wise and in media as well.

“I’ve driven a lot of nice horses in trackwork that range from some nice two-year-olds to their country cup horses.”

O’Sullivan, the daughter of Victorian harness racing great Jim, started her career in the sulky in the 2017-18 season and has driven 127 winners with her career highlight being January’s Group 3 Cobram Trotters Cup triumph with Dont Care.

by Tim O’Connor for Harness Racing Victoria