Remembering Pat Smullen: ‘At the time it was a weird feeling that he was so much at peace’

The late Pat Smullen was more than just a great jockey, he was an inspirational figure who responded to his pancreatic cancer diagnosis by raising funds and awareness of the disease. His memoir, aptly named ‘Champion’, written by Pat and completed by his wife, Frances Crowley, makes for compelling reading

INSPIRED BY DOUBT: Frances Crowley with her husband Pat Smullen at Leopardstown in May 2019. Frances believes Pat’s insecurity was a key part of what made him such a successful jockey. ‘I think most sports people feel like they’re not good enough, they always feel like they have to keep improving just to keep up with everybody else,’ she says. Picture: Healy Racing

It’s fitting that Pat Smullen’s memoir opens with a superb account of the sweetest moment of a stellar career that saw him crowned Ireland’s champion Flat jockey on nine occasions.

Harzand’s 2016 Epsom Derby success was the fulfilment of a lifetime ambition, a moment of joy so pure that the reality exceeded the fantasy.