Meet the Rising Stars of Irish Racing: New Jockeys to Watch Irish racing is witnessing the birth of a new generation of talents in the saddle, some of them with extremely good breeding pages for the sport. Paddy Smullen, son of the late great Pat Smullen, has his first winner on the board, while we have also witnessed a breakout winner for a great granddaughter of the late Charmian Hill, owner of the wonderful mare Dawn Run. We're looking at some new names you might be seeing on Irish racecards. Take our State of Racing Survey for a chance to win a €50 Amazon gift card Paddy Smullen Grappa Nonino won a low-grade stayers' handicap on the Polytrack at Dundalk in March. The six-year-old scored off a mark of 71 on the Friday night before the Cheltenham Festival. It was his first try at the Co Louth venue and his victory was nothing out of the ordinary, but there was something truly symbolic for the Irish racing fraternity to see the name of P J Smullen on the Dundalk racecard once more. Paddy Smullen, son of the late nine-time champion Pat, made his debut when finishing third in his father's charity race at the Curragh in August. His older sister Hannah also rode a winner last season. Their Epsom Derby-winning father sadly passed away at the age of 43 from pancreatic cancer in 2020. He rode his final winner at Dundalk in March 2018 on Togoville and Smullen senior was a standing dish at the Co Louth in his career, not just a master of the turf but a titan of the Friday nights under the lights. His links with Dermot Weld were iconic. The Master of Roswell House saddled some of Smullen's biggest winners including Harzand, who did the Derby double at Epsom and the Curragh in 2016. "There's lots of sentimental value," Paddy Smullen told Racing TV. "It's brilliant to follow in (Dad's) footsteps. Dermot and the whole family have been amazing to me." Shay Wallace Joseph O'Brien's base at Piltown has become a launchpad for some rising stars of the weighing room, with Dylan McMonagle emerging from there and now locked in battle with Colin Keane for the jockeys' championship this season. Teenager Shay Wallace could be next off the conveyor belt. The young rider hails from Ballynoe just outside Cork city and he steered home San Andreas at Dundalk in December last year for his first winner. In June, he ticked off a major box on his CV when he registered a winner on his first ride at his local racecourse, steering home the Jimmy Barcoe-trained Nouvel Espoir to win the Ryan's Cleaning Handicap over 5f at Cork. "I've been coming here as long as I can remember. It was always a dream to ride around here," he said. "I have my license just over a year and almost my whole family are here, so it is great to have them." Sadhbh Tormey Dubliner Sadhbh Tormey will never forget her maiden winner on the track at Fairyhouse in June. Are You In Or Out came home first in the La Bucca Restaurants Handicap over 6f at the Co Meath venue for trainer Paul Stafford of a Friday evening in early summer at odds of 13/2. Sadhbh is the niece of former national hunt jockey Glenn Tormey and was in the middle of her Leaving Certificate exams when her breakout winner arrived - right in the midst, as it were. "I had one exam there today and I kind of left a bit earlier than I should have!" said Sadhbh. "I don't know (if it went well). I couldn't really think straight, now, to be honest!" Dara John O'Sullivan The Leaving Cert awaits for Dara John O'Sullivan next summer, but he won't have to worry about juggling exams and the pursuit of a first winner. He hit that milestone when partnering Noble Name, trained by his mother Claire O'Connell, to success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race at Sligo earlier this month. It was just the ninth ride under Rules for the teenager and he showed patience before bringing the 6/1 poke forward to land the prize. "That's Dara's first winner, he's 17 and he's back to school now in September to do his Leaving Cert," said his delighted mother. "It's homebred, horse and jockey! A day to remember!" Gabriella Hill A day before O'Sullivan's success, Gabriella Hill was on the scoresheet at Sligo when Trubshaw lasted out in front in the 1m6f Guinness Handicap despite the close attentions of God The Highness in the closing stages. It was third winner for the 10lb claimer, with two for Jim Bolger before this score for Henry De Bromhead. She is the great-granddaughter of Dawn Run's owner Charmian Hill and, fittingly, Trubshaw carried the famous silks associated with the Champion Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup of the 1980s. She's making the move to Britain to link up with trainer Stuart Williams to broaden her horizons at Newmarket.
