Pat Smullen is enjoying his best season ever with 114 winners, and the man lauded as the 'new iron man of Rhode,' by supporters from his home county of Offaly during the summer, will be crowned champion jockey for the ninth time tomorrow. He completed a double on this Dundalk card aboard Propriano in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap.

Smullen, following the great footballer Paddy McCormack as a famous son of Rhode, had earlier took the feature for Michael Halford. He donned the Aga Khan silks when Kadra triumphed in the Listed Cooley Fillies Stakes.

Propriano represents Moyglare Stud Farm and Dermot Weld and he turned out quickly after a Leopardstown effort last Sunday to get off the mark at the seventh time of asking. The More Than Ready gelding beat Power Grid by a neck.

"He was a bit keen but handled the surface well. He's in the sales," reported Smullen.

(AM & EM)