Nine times Irish champion jockey Pat Smullen has died. Smullen, who had been battling pancreatic cancer, passed away in Ireland on Tuesday evening. He was 43 at the time of his passing, having been diagnosed with cancer in 2018.

Born in County Offaly, on 22 May 1977, Smullen, the son of a farmer and who became involved with horses at the age of 11, went on to form a formidable alliance with master trainer Dermot Weld, taking over in 1999 from another riding great – Mick Kinane. Among their greatest triumphs was the Derby at Epsom in 2016 with Harzand. The pair went on to secure the Irish Derby and cement the legacy of a rider who enjoyed his first victory at Dundalk on 11 June 1993.

Smullen, victorious in 12 European classics, leaves behind his wife, Frances, and their three children – Hannah, Paddy and Sarah.