Smullen just needs a little luck to get going outside of Ireland
Yes, I know he won the English 2000 Guineas in 2003 on Refuse To Bend, and has had other bits and pieces along the way, but is still very much regarded as largely a domestic rider.
The thought struck me after watching Smullen give yet another magical display aboard Campfire Glow in the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
Refuse To Bend remains his only success in an English classic and it continues to puzzle one that he hasn't gone down a road first blazed by Mick Kinane and then by Johnny Murtagh.
Kinane and Murtagh are truly international pilots and are widely in demand outside of their home country.
It's not as if Smullen hasn't enjoyed high-profile victories at home. He won the Derby on Grey Swallow, the 1000 Guineas on Nightime and, of course, his association with Vinnie Roe is the stuff of legends. Four times in-a-row he teamed up with Vinnie Roe to win the Irish Leger.
But, as of yet, there is no indication his enormous talent is about to be recognised on a wider stage, which is quite astonishing.
Smullen is well on his way to another jockeys' title with 60 winners already in the locker, a whopping 16 clear of nearest pursuers, Declan McDonogh and Seamus Heffernan.
The standard of race-riding on the flat in Ireland has never been higher. Literally, every day of the week Smullen pits his wits against Kinane, Murtagh, Fallon and plenty of others as well.
He is hardly ever found wanting and if you really fancy a horse, and Smullen's on top, then you are nearly always inclined to increase the investment.
His great quality, at least to my eyes, is the ability to keep it simple, to make the art of riding winners almost totally uncomplicated.
Smullen doesn't do complicated, is nearly always in the right place at the right time and is wickedly hard to beat in a tight finish.
He was absolutely superb on Campfire Glow. The way he nursed her through the contest, in very testing conditions, was a treat.
Then he got a smashing run up the stands' rails, grabbed a decisive advantage with less than a furlong to run and had enough in reserve to hold hot-pot, Listen, by a neck.
To put it simply Campfire Glow got first run on Listen and Smullen's tactics were what won the race for the flly. I doubt there are many who believe the form will be confirmed if the two meet again.
Smullen's riding at Galway was awesome. He partnered Princely Hero to win a maiden by a head.
He was magnificent on In A Rush in a handicap, she also scored by a head, and that wasn't lost on Dermot Weld, who acknowledged as much in the immediate aftermath of the contest.
He took another maiden at Galway on Unwritten Rule and that colt held on for dear life close home to win by a neck.
There is an obvious pattern emerging from all those examples and it is that Smullen's mounts frequently come out on the right side of close encounters.
I accept he was beaten on Domestic Fund at Galway, but even in that race he managed to get first run on everything and was only mugged late by Fallon on Lucifer Sam.
What we know about Pat Smullen right now is that he is one of the best jockeys in the world and just needs a little luck to get going outside of Ireland.
He is very much in the Kinane-Murtagh-Fallon league and why his phone hasn't been ringing regularly from abroad is almost as big a mystery as to how Monaghan contrived to lose to Kerry last Sunday.
* BOOKMAKERS, on and off course, must have felt they had been stitched up big-time with that victory of Alpine Eagle at Ballinrobe on Monday night.
Put in at 7-2 in the Racing Post, he was a more realistic 2-1 and 7-4 shot with the layers in the morning.
That looked just about right, in what seemed a tight little four-runner affair, later reduced to three.
What could only be described, however, as a nationwide gamble began in earnest. Every off course layer, it seems, who offered a morning price was hit.
By the time it settled down, and Muluk had come out of the contest, Alpine Eagle was odds-on. On track he was put in at 8-11.
And then it started all over again and he was hammered to 4-9. Now that takes dosh. He proceeded to win by 22 lengths.
Delightfully, those who backed the horse, after the rule 4 kicked in, in the morning were on a 4-9 shot at odds against. It really is a simple old game!
