ONE of the best pieces of news to emerge this week was that Pat Smullen will ride in his Champions Race for Cancer Trials Ireland race at the Curragh in September. It will be run after the Comer Group International Irish St Leger on the second and final day of Irish Champions Weekend.

That will be some crescendo.

If Smullen was intent on cruising to an easy victory in the race, however, he hasn’t gone about it the right way. He has assembled a who’s who of jockeys.

Probably the most talented and most decorated group of riders that has ever been assembled for one race. Champions all.

There’s Pat Smullen himself for starters, nine-time champion jockey. And there’s A.P. McCoy (20) and Ruby Walsh (12) and Charlie Swan (nine) and Ted Durcan (seven) and Kieren Fallon (six) and Johnny Murtagh (five) and Richard Hughes (three) and Paul Carberry (two) and Joseph O’Brien (two).

You’d travel a long way to see this one.