Nine times Champion Jockey Pat Smullen has his position under threat this year but did partner his first winner for a previous Champion Jockey when steering the Joseph O’Brien trained Tamboureen in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden at Bellewstown today.

Partnering his 27th winner of the season, Smullen was carrying the colours of Coolmore horse scout Demi O’Byrne on the son of Red Jazz who battled well in first-time blinkers to hold 4/6f Hyperlapse by a head.

The win moved Smullen to within seven of Kevin Manning at the head of the Jockeys’ Championship and, a little more notably, prevented Hyperlapse’s jockey Colin Keane from joining Manning on that number of wins this term.

Dual Champion Jockey-turned trainer O’Brien wasn’t present but afterwards Smullen revealed “it's nice of Joseph to give me a winner. That's my first winner for him and I think only my second ride.”

“Joseph was happy that he would improve a good bit for the blinkers.

“He missed the kick the last day so it was important to get a good start and thankfully he got it easy enough up front and to be fair to him he stuck his head out to the line.

“It's no great shock as Joseph was hopeful of a big run from him and the blinkers obviously did the trick, but I liked the way he battled in the finish.”

Quotes from Gary Carson