News & Media

This year's Ulster National was your ultimate Royal County affair. The winner was a tricky 10-year-old gelding called Dunboyne, trained by Dunshaughlin man Ian Donoghue, who edged out the Gavin Cromwell-trained Final Orders, who was ridden by Ian's younger brother Keith. The man on board the winner was a Meath man, too. It was Kilmessan teenager James Smith, whose reputation is rocketing with every passing week.

James is the 19-year-old son of trainer Matthew, probably best known for his exploits with 2020 Stayers' Hurdle runner-up Ronald Pump, and he has already celebrated 33 winners in the saddle.
The highlight of those 33? The aforementioned Ulster National, of course.

"I got a serious kick out of Dunboyne winning the Ulster National at Downpatrick earlier this year," said Smith.

"There is always a great atmosphere there and the place was buzzing. It was a tight finish, but Dunboyne just pulled out that little bit more in the closing stages to win it narrowly. It was magic. Ian has done a brilliant job with him."

Smith has come a long way in a very short space of time. His first winner arrived at Cork in the summer of 2022 at the tender age of 16 when he steered Cassarina Gold to victory in a bumper for his father.

His first success as a professional came at Sligo the following June when Bigz Belief, also trained by his father, landed a claiming hurdle at 14-1.

"I've never known a time when I haven't been around horses. They've been part of my life from day one," said Smith.

"My dad had some great horses over the years and I suppose One Cool Poet would have to be my favourite. He was some bit of stuff. Ronald Pump was some horse, too. We had some great days with him over the years." As well as finishing runner-up to Lisnagar Oscar in the 2020 Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, Ronald Pump also finished second to Honeysuckle in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in 2020 and 2021. He was rated 157 at his peak. The Smiths performed heroics with One Cool Poet, who won three times in the space of five days during the Galway Races in 2019.

James has now firmly established himself as his father's stable jockey and he has a few things on his bucket list.

"I'd love to ride out my claim. That's one of my first goals," he said. "I've actually never ridden a winner at Fairyhouse yet, so that would be another. It's a brilliant track and it would be nice to get off the mark there. I've already had two winners at Navan, another brilliant track to ride around. We're lucky to have tracks like that on our doorstep.

"I'm at home with my Dad most of the time, I go to Ian [Donoghue's], as well, and I'm in Gordon Elliott's one or two days a week. It's great to see how a big operation like that works. It's great experience for me."

It is worth reminding you that Smith doesn't turn 20 until next February. He doesn't hang around. He's a young man on a mission.

Check out all the latest news and fixtures from Fairyhouse and Navan by clicking on the racecourse name.