Smullen retains Irish jockeys` title Pat Smullen retained the Irish jockeys` championship at Leopardstown today although he was outshone on the day by former titleholder Michael Kinane who registered a 130-1 treble. Smullen started the session five ahead of Kinane and looked too have sewn up the crown when taking the opening Bracken Maiden by a whisker on the 2-1 favourite Sun Seasons for his boss Dermot Weld. But that was the end of Smullen`s winning haul for the campaign leaving him on the 81 mark which was one better than when he made the breakthrough last season. Kinane signalled his intention not to go down without a fight when 3-1 favourite Shoal Creek romped away with the Knockaire Stakes and an hour later Tortue (11-2) also justified market support with an equally emphatic win in the Carmanhall Handicap. Kinane, the 11-times titleholder, followed up aboard On The Nile (9-2) in the Eyrefield Stakes with two races to go. However at that stage Smullen could relax somewhat and although he failed to add to his tally, notably when Murrayfield finished runner-up in the finale, he was celebrating afterwards accompanied by fiancee trainer Frances Crowley whom he marries on Tuesday. 'Other than winning Group Ones, keeping the title has been very important for me. I have always wanted to be champion from the time I started out in racing and it`s great to be ending the season in front again,' said Smullen. Smullen heads back out for another winter session in Dubai next Wednesday, before which Aidan O`Brien who was champion trainer both in Ireland and Britain this term has his final European runners in France on Tuesday with three colts declared for the Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Kinane rides Racing Post trophy runner-up Castle Gandolfo with the trio completed by Ballingarry (Jamie Spencer) and Galileo`s brother Black Sam Bellamy for whom O`Brien is seeking a jockey as Johnny Murtagh is unavailable. O`Brien supplied both of Kinane`s Listed winners yesterday, with Shoal Creek probably earning a trip to Hong Kong next month after getting back on the winning trail. 'Shoal Creek is Bach`s working companion at home and with Bach going for the Hong Kong Cup next month we may now send Shoal Creek as well for the Mile,' O`Brien said. On The Nile considerably enhanced her paddock value when stepping up both in form and trip in the nine furlongs Eyrefield Stakes to give the champion handler his concluding scorer on the home front. 'On The Nile loved the strongly-run race and is only getting fit now. She is a three-part sister to Kutub and should do well next season,' O`Brien added. The featured Tote Exact November Handicap was won in runaway fashion by 8-1 chance Calladine, the first runner for Curragh trainer Christy Roche since he shut down his yard temporarily because of coughing among some of his string. 'I was more hopeful than confident because of the coughing and the fact we were easy on the horses for a while. But Calladine didn`t get the virus and is at his best going left-handed as you saw here,' said Roche after Timmy Houlihan had romped to a nine-length success on the five-year-old.
