By Mike Dillon
Lance O'Sullivan reckons Matamata trainer Mike Moroney hasn't even come close to getting square.
Moroney provided two of the four winners O'Sullivan rode at Tauranga yesterday to put his glamourous career back on track after 15 months sidelined.
But burned more indelibly into the O'Sullivan memory is the Mike Moroney-trained Centie Lassie, off whom O'Sullivan crashed through the Moonee Valley running rail on Cox Plate day in October 1987.
"Mike owes me more than two winners, I can tell you. He hasn't even paid a deposit yet," O'Sullivan joked as he climbed off Linden Lea, the third of his four winners.
Nothing provides jockeys with more confidence than winning races.
There was an immediate change in demeanour after the fourth wins.
"Yes, it did give me a confidence boost and it was more than a bit emotional," O'Sullivan admitted.
Fifteen months is a long time absent when you've ridden as many winners as O'Sullivan.
He knew yesterday was crunch time.
"I've heard the stories that I won't make it back successfully, but this was the first raceday back that I've been on winning chances.
"Dad came to the races today. He went to Taupo the day I resumed and hasn't been since, but yesterday morning I said: "You'd better come today. If I'm going to come back and ride winners it's going to be today."
"If punters were looking at the form properly they would have started backing me today for the first time."
You can confidently take shorter than even money that O'Sullivan will now commit himself to riding brother Paul's big team at the Trentham carnival starting Saturday week, but he stopped short of declaring it yesterday.
"I'm still in a fair bit of pain, I'm not going to kid you about that and I want to make sure I can successfully get through Saturday's meeting at Avondale.
"I'd hate to accept the rides in the big races at Trentham and not do one of them justice.
"That would really hurt.
"I want to make certain I can get back to the level of riding I know I'm capable of and I don't think I'm quite there yet."
You would not have known that if you watched O'Sullivan's performance on Linden Lea in isolation. Or on Sabbia Bay in the last. It was a champion jockey strutting his stuff.
Also suddenly back was the well-known O'Sullivan in-depth analysis, where losers come in for as much after-race thought as the winners.
Few riders are as good at giving a judgment calling on a horse's ability.
Here's a tip.
"On paper my other ride for Mike, Tonoahvail (second) looked my best mount all day, but I couldn't get him going in the maiden stayers race.
"Mike said he'd run his best race from the back, but in hindsight I should have used him early and gone forward on him. They were running hard up front, which suited, but he was too green to go round the field and come into the race.
"He does a bit wrong, but he'll keep."
Just don't hire O'Sullivan as your accountant.
"I arrived at the races certain I had six rides.
"But when I counted them there were seven and I didn't really want to have that many.
"If I can get through seven today, I suppose I can ride five on the first day at Trentham."
Now that's something you can bet on.
Horse Racing: O'Sullivan hits them for four
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