It's all about Image for Aileen at Clonmel

There were lots of cheers around Garlow Cross outside Navan yesterday evening when Aileen O'Sullivan landed her first winner on the track with the sprightly 12-year-old American Image won the Clonmel Handicap Chase.

The post-race interview showed exactly how much the win meant to the Meath woman as her smile and enthusiasm brightened up the evening as she enjoyed the occasion from the moment she realised she had won by half-a-length.

"I actually thought we had another lap to go, I couldn't believe it, I just couldn't believe it, I was screaming going by the line," she managed to say.

I couldn't believe I had actually won the race, I own the horse along with Neil (Gault), he's 12 and he absolutely gave me socks the whole way round there," she added.

The form ahead of yesterday's two-mile contest was: PP3-FFP52F1PP-3FPF057-7P-00723-390764PP-528 with the majority of that in the point-to-point circuit.

And it was only the third time that Aileen and her willing partner had competed on the track, but it was notable that the duo had finished second in a similar type of contest at Tramore in mid-August.

Yesterday at Clonmel the winning formula was delivered as the 80-rated veteran made it a memorable evening for the lady from near Navan as she was described.