Upping the Ante : Humble Smullen inspiring us all to keep fighting

Nine-time champion jockey Pat Smullen is looking at the positives after his recent cancer treatment

If last Sunday’s column described Ruby Walsh’s retirement as a cause for celebration, not sadness, what of Pat Smullen doing the same less than a week later?

Walsh quit just shy of 40. If he were a car he would be a banger, but he will drive on, his injuries entirely a product of the profession he chose. His will be a fulfilled life, shorn of the buzz of race-riding, but most professional ...