Graham Sullivan

Graham Sullivan

1927-1985

Article by Alan Trout

Graham Arthur Sullivan made a flying start to his career under National Hunt rules, his first seven wins being achieved in just over eight weeks. Thereafter, however, progress slowed dramatically, and he was only able to add six more.

Born in 1927, he made his debut at Wetherby on Easter Monday, April 10, 1950, when School For Botany was unplaced in the Wharfedale Selling Handicap Hurdle. He opened his account at Catterick Bridge on March 2 the following year, when Trimlena, trained at Wetherby by William Newton, was an easy winner of the Four-Year-Old Hurdle, scoring by five lengths. 

The following day at the same course, he finished second on School For Botany in the Aske Selling Handicap Hurdle, a race for novice riders, but the winner, Red Finger, was disqualified on a technicality, giving Graham had his second success.  

By the end of April he had registered another five, and at Southwell on April 14 he came close to landing a double when Heavenly Blue won the Burgage Hurdle and Cripple Creek was beaten a short head in the Annesley Handicap Hurdle. 

But there was then a gap of over two years before he scored again – it may have been through injury or absence due to National Service, but that is purely supposition. The drought eventually ended at Wetherby on Whit Monday, May 25, 1953, when Occaney prevailed by a short head in the Headley Handicap Hurdle. The rider of the runner up, Tommy Robson (who was still an amateur at the time), objected to the winner on grounds of ‘bumping and interfering’ but this was overruled. 

There were five more wins the following season, the last coming at Manchester on March 12, 1954, when Tree Top, trained like all his other winners by William Newton, took the lead after the last flight to land the Kinderscout Handicap Hurdle by three-quarters of a length. 

Graham had his final ride on Doogan, finishing unplaced in the Markham Main Hurdle (Division 1) at Doncaster on March 12, 1956. He died in 1985. 

Graham Sullivan’s winners were, in chronological order.

1. Trimlena, Catterick Bridge, March 2, 1951

2. School For Botany, Catterick Bridge, March 3, 1954

3. Cripple Creek, Market Rasen, March 10, 1951

4. Cripple Creek, Southwell, March 22, 1951

5, School For Botany, Wetherby, March 26, 1951

6. Heavenly Blue, Southwell, April 14, 1951

7. Little Jubeon, Rothbury, April 28, 1951

8. Occaney, Wetherby, May 25, 1953

9. Western Window, Newcastle, November 16, 1953

10. Tree Top, Haydock Park, December 10, 1953

11. Western Window, Ayr, January 4, 1954

12. Easy Payment, Haydock Park, March 5, 1954

13. Tree Top, Manchester, March 12, 1954