Paddy Smullen bags a winner, as Weld's bond endures Paddy Smullen registered an appropriate first winner today at Dundalk, combining with his late champion jockey father Pat Smullen’s great ally Dermot Weld to land the Every Cheltenham Race Only On Racing TV Handicap on Grappa Nonino (20/1). Today’s race was confined to amateur riders with Smullen, having just his second ride and again steering Grappa Nonino in the same saddle used by his father, improving from mid-field to neatly lead inside the final furlong, beating Palamon by 1.5 lengths. Famous for his own brilliant timing, legendary nine-time champion Smullen had his first and last career winners at today’s Louth course in 1993 and in 2018 respectively, before his untimely 2020 passing due to pancreatic cancer. Today a delighted Smullen, whose older sister Hannah rode her first winner last May, said "it is amazing really: it doesn't feel real to get my first winner at the same track as my dad did and for the trainer he rode so many winners for. “A great big thank you to Mr Weld who has given me two chances now and I'm happy to have repaid him. For a trainer, it is not easy to give a rider with such little experience rides, so I am grateful to him and his family." Regarding Grappa Nonino, the 17-year-old added "he's a brilliant horse. I rode him in the Curragh last time, so I had a feel for him. At home, he has been in the best form he has ever been: everyone knew he had a chance of winning because he came here to work a few weeks ago and worked superbly." Smullen senior, whose first success came on the Tom Lacy-trained Vicosa in 1993, was stable jockey to Weld from 1999 until 2018 and landed numerous big-races, highlighted by Harzand’s 2016 English and Irish Derby wins. Quotes from Michael Graham
