The Daragh Ó Conchúir Interview: Pat Smullen finally OK with being a non-runner

The Daragh Ó Conchúir Interview He will watch them go to stalls for today’s DDF Irish Derby at the Curragh and, for a moment, wonder.

He will watch them go to stalls for today’s DDF Irish Derby at the Curragh and, for a moment, wonder. That’s when Pat Smullen will snap out of it and smile, savouring the sights and sounds of family, friends, and relatively good health. As a champion jockey, he recognises when the odds are long, but he’s never been one to lie down and give up.

Family and the outdoors always meant the world, but the laser focus Pat Smullen had on being one of the best flat jockeys on the planet meant he sometimes took them for granted.