Race named after Offaly's Pat Smullen at Newmarket racecourse

Offaly jockey Pat Smullen will be honoured with a race in his name at Newmarket's Craven meeting later this month.

The Rhode jockey died last year after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

The Pat Smullen Memorial Handicap will take place over a mile on Tuesday, April 13, and is the brainchild of his longtime friend Ted Durcan.

Pat recorded his first ever British Classic victory at Newmarket aboard Refuse To Bend in the 2000 Guineas in 2003. He went on to have 47 winners in Britain, added to his 1,845 winners at home in Ireland.

Ted Durcan said a lot of people in Britain missed out on paying their respects at the time of Pat's funeral last September due to Covid-19 restrictions and that this race was a way to remember Pat on the track.

“The Craven meeting is always a very exciting time and Pat had huge success over the years at the Rowley Mile. The team at Newmarket Racecourses were extremely helpful and only too happy to stage a race in Pat's name," he explained.