Meet the international agent from Waterford with a licence for success - and some exclusive stallion news

The solitary pursuit of success in athletics, the single-minded dedication required to compete on the international stage; bloodstock agent Eoin Sullivan possessed all these attributes in abundance. There was also more than enough talent to secure him a scholarship to secondary school and another to university in the United States, to represent his country on international schools teams and development squads.

The loneliness of the long-distance runner – Sullivan ran cross-country, in addition to the more intermediate distances of 800m and 1500m – contributed to a loss of passion for the sport and he studied auctioneering and estate agency, while working for John Halley at weekends and spending summers with John Hammond and Mark Johnston.

When the property market went down in flames in 2008, horses were still there and doing the sensible thing no longer appealed.