Free Eagle is Smullen highlight Pat Smullen hailed Free Eagle's recent winning return to action as the highlight of a memorable 2014 campaign. The rider notched up his first ever century of wins at Gowran on Sunday and despite riding two winners at Royal Ascot aboard Mustajeeb and Anthem Alexander, Free Eagle still proves the pick for Smullen. The Dermot Weld-trained colt was viewed as a Classic contender but an early-season setback kept him off the track until he made a victorious return with a seven-length verdict at Leopardstown earlier this month. Smullen said: "Ascot was a very special day, to ride two winners there on two very exciting horses hopefully for the rest of the year. "The other one I'd pick out would be Free Eagle, to get him back and to win as impressively as he did. He's a horse we have always held in high regard and we were very disappointed we didn't have him for this summer. "But he's back now and to me he's the highlight."
