Smullen rules himself out of O'Brien job

RACING NEWS:PAT SMULLEN, who was the bookmakers' favourite to take the vacant post as first jockey to Aidan O'Brien, has ruled himself out of the running. His decision came just one day after Johnny Murtagh resigned after three years at Ballydoyle.

“I’ve got a very good job and I ride for some very good owners, so I’m happy where I am,” said Smullen, who has ridden principally for Dermot Weld for more than a decade, their major victories together including the 2,000 Guineas, the Irish Derby and the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

“I’m staying with Dermot and am very happy to do so,” the jockey added. “He’s a world-class trainer.” Smullen is likely to recover his crown as champion Irish Flat jockey this year, having lost it to Murtagh last season, and he seemed the natural choice in many eyes. Not only does he have a wealth of big-race experience, including success at the Breeders’ Cup, but he is related to O’Brien, as the two men are married to sisters.

Even as Weld was assuring reporters of his conviction that Smullen would stay with him, punters were betting that the jockey would jump ship. Paddy Power saw so much money for him in their “next Ballydoyle jockey” market that they cut him from 5 to 2 to even money, only to remove him from the betting altogether when Smullen’s decision became public moments later.

A spokesman for the same firm said that a punter “whose judgment we respect” had asked for a price about Julien Leparoux, a Frenchman who plies his trade in the United States. Power’s offered 10 to 1, noting that Leparoux won the Eclipse award for outstanding US-based apprentice in 2006, an accolade previously given to Cash Asmussen and Steve Cauthen, who both rode in Europe later in their careers.

Christophe Soumillon is the new favourite to sign up with O’Brien and it is undeniable that the Belgian has the necessary talent, though the job nearly always goes to an Irishman. Soumillon’s agent in Britain, Shippy Ellis, sounded puzzled and sceptical when the subject was raised yesterday.

“The first I heard about it was on Monday, when the bookies issued a list, and perhaps they know more than me. I have no idea really,” Ellis said. “He’s in South Africa taking part in a jockeys’ competition, and he won’t be back in Europe until the middle of next week. We’ll just have to sit and wait to see if there’s an approach. There hasn’t been one yet.”

Ellis pointed out that Soumillon has a young family in France that would be “his over-riding priority”, making it hard for him to take a job that would require him to ride work on the gallops in Tipperary each week.

William Hill reported money for Kieren Fallon and Colm O’Donoghue yesterday. Fallon, who is also in South Africa, served as O’Brien’s jockey for three years from 2005 but his tenure ended badly when he was given a worldwide ban after testing positive for cocaine, the second time he had failed a raceday drugs test.

Three months after the first trial of a televised stewards’ inquiry took place on the final day of Glorious Goodwood, racing’s rulers have shown a sudden determination to repeat the experiment.

There could be further televised inquiries each weekend until the new year under plans released yesterday by the British Horseracing Authority. The new trial covers all races shown on terrestrial television from the main jump meetings over the next seven weekends.