Perennial Champion Hungry For More

As 2015 draws to a close it sees Pat Smullen crowned champion jockey in Ireland for the eighth time. He was Ireland's champion for the first time in the year 2000 and, since landing his third title in 2005, he has either been first or second in the Irish jockeys table every year since. Given this impressive resume spanning the last 15 years, one could be forgiven for thinking Smullen is approaching the twilight of his career. However, at only 38 years of age, he's far from it. Smullen is very much in his prime for a flat jockey and the fact that he has achieved so much and established himself as one of the most respected jockeys in the world is testament to his dedication, professionalism and sheer talent.

Smullen's career has charted a fairly straightforward course. An apprenticeship with Tom Lacey, a fellow county Offaly native, was followed by a stint as second jockey for John Oxx but it was his next career move that proved the most significant turning point in his professional life. Mick Kinane had just made the move to Ballydoyle and there was an opening as stable jockey to the famed Rosewell House trainer Dermot Weld. Smullen had landed his maiden Group 1 victory aboard the Tommy Stack trained Tarascon (Ire) (Tirol {GB}) in the Moyglare Stud S. at The Curragh in 1997 and Weld was sufficiently impressed with the then 21-year-old to offer him the job. Smullen didn't hesitate in accepting and the partnership has developed into one of the most longstanding alliances in racing. In typically modest fashion Smullen says he was in the “right place at the right time” but it didn't faze him in the slightest to be taking over from one of the finest jockeys ever to steer a horse. “Mick Kinane was someone I considered an idol and a role model and I still do. I was obviously thrilled to get the job and I grasped the opportunity with both hands.” The Weld/Smullen axis did not have to wait too long to taste victory at the top level together and it came in 2001 via Vinnie Roe (Ire) (Definite Article {GB}) in the G1 Irish St. Leger, the first of an historic four victories the same jockey/trainer/horse combination would register in the Irish Classic.

“Vinnie Roe was a brilliant horse for me as it was important to have a flagship horse in the early stages of the job, and we had some fantastic days with him,” said Smullen.

Further Group 1 and Classic victories would follow, including Refuse To Bend (Sadler's Wells) in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in 2003 and Grey Swallow (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}) in the G1 Irish Derby in 2004. You could say one got away in 2005 when Saoire (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), trained by his wife Frances Crowley won the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas with Mick Kinane in the saddle. Smullen was claimed to ride the fourth placed Utterly Heaven (Ire) for his boss but his disappointment was very short-lived as he says, “It was a great achievement by Frances, it was just a pity I wasn't more involved!”

Smullen didn't have to wait too long to set the record straight, winning the race the following year on the Weld trained Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Though he wasn't the best horse he rode, one of Smullen's favorite horses is Famous Name (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Over a five year period Smullen rode the horse in 37 of his 38 starts winning on 21 occasions with 20 of those victories coming in stakes races. “He was an absolute pleasure to ride. He was so consistent, not just in his races but also in his work, he never, ever worked badly and he was so sound and had an amazing constitution,” recalled Smullen. “If his offspring can inherit these traits from him they will certainly be racehorses.”

We will have a better idea of that in four month's time when his first 2-year-olds start hitting the track.

Fast forward to the present and Smullen can look back on 2015 with pride. He would have been surprised had someone told him in the spring that he would ride a Classic winner for Hugo Palmer. He did just that and added another Group 1 for good measure. His linkup with Palmer traces back to last year when he won on Short Squeeze (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) at York at the 2014 Ebor Festival, but explaining his call up for Covert Love (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) Smullen said, “I'm friends with her co-breeder Mark McStay and he asked me if I wasn't required by the boss in the G1 Darley Irish Oaks if I could ride Covert Love. I was very happy to take the ride and quite pleasantly surprised with the outcome. She's a great big rangy filly, she continued to improve throughout the season and she will be major force in all those middle distance fillies' races next year.” Fascinating Rock's (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) win in the G1 Qipco Champion S. at Ascot may have come as a surprise to some but not to Smullen. “I always thought he was capable of a performance like that. Remember, we ran him in the Epsom Derby, we thought he was good enough to run and run well in it, it just didn't work out on the day. Also when you think of his run in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May, just beaten by Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) with Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in third; that's top class form. Everything came together perfectly for him at Ascot, the ground, the trip, the pace, it was just one of those great days.” Dubai is a possible reappearance plan for the Newtown Anner Stud homebred but only a possible as Smullen admits, “It's a long year and he does like a bit of cut in the ground.”

However, pride of place for 2015 and possibly his career in the saddle to date goes to Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}).

“In my opinion, he is the most talented horse I have ridden, and what happened in the G1 Irish Champion S. will haunt me for a while.” Strong words from Smullen and though he does not want to dwell on the 'what might have beens', he feels the bump Free Eagle received off Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the Leopardstown race, not only cost him any chance of winning, but he also thinks the horse never fully recovered from the incident. “He just didn't feel like the same horse in his next two starts, but he was certainly one of the best if not the best horse I have sat on. It's a pity his racing career tapered off a bit but I think he will make a great sire and I look forward to sending him one of my own mares.”

That last statement offers a glimpse of what path Smullen's life is likely to take when he eventually hangs up his saddle. Along with his wife Frances and three children Smullen has been quietly building up their Brickfield Stud, currently just over 50 acres and hopefully growing. “It's something both myself and Frances have a great interest in, although it's Frances' department at the moment. It's definitely what I will concentrate on when I give up riding, though I hope that's still a long way off. I don't have any real interest in training. We have a few mares already including Saying Grace (Ire) (Brief Truce) whose progeny have done well both in the sales ring and on the racecourse so far.”

In the short term, though, Smullen still has some unfinished business in the saddle. Being champion jockey in Ireland is an on-going ambition, so too is spreading his wings abroad a bit further.

“I think a lot of the hard work I've put in over the years is starting to pay off and some of the major races I won this year seemed to have opened up a few more doors for me,

he said. “Riding in these high profile international Group 1 races is definitely what I want to focus on more, saying that, being champion jockey at home is also very important to me.”

Having experienced his fair share of international racing so far Smullen is in a good position to compare standards around the world and offering his opinion. He said, “Japan is a country I would like to ride in some more. They have a wonderful structure, prize-money is brilliant and the racing is well policed with a high emphasis on integrity. A lot of other jurisdictions could certainly take a leaf out of their book. I've gone there on numerous occasions, for the jockeys challenge and the Japan Cup and each time I've left very impressed with the whole setup, so doing a longer stint there at some stage is something that definitely interests me.”

This winter Smullen intends to take a break from riding in January with a view to starting out again in February in Dubai. Christmas with the family, a holiday in Tenerife and some farming therapy should help recharge the batteries and leave this ultimate professional in good shape to do what he does best in 2016, riding winners.

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