THERE is something we can all agree about. Pat Smullen was a man in a million, and his untimely death at such a young age has robbed anyone who ever met him of a friend.

I say this because you only had to meet Pat once to know you were in the presence of someone special. He was a world-class sportsman, an example for those embarking on a career as a jockey. His outwardly gentle demeanour hid a steely determination to win, a brilliant brain, and yet he wore any mantle of greatness in the saddle with such modesty.