Pat Smullen to be crowned Irish champion jockey at Leopardstown

Pat Smullen will star on a day of presentations that mark the end of the 2015 Irish Flat season at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Smullen has enjoyed another fabulous campaign, claiming his eighth jockeys' title, and reaching a century of seasonal winners at Dundalk on Friday.

He finished well clear of his nearest pursuers, with his domestic year seeing a Classic success as Covert Love won the Irish Oaks for Newmarket trainer Hugo Palmer.

Many other major victories, including the Champion Stakes at Ascot with Fascinating Rock, came for his boss, Dermot Weld.

Smullen said: "It's very important to be champion and I set out every year to be champion.

"This has been a bigger season for me in that there have been higher-profile winners, which is very important.

"Overall, I'd have to say it was one of the better years.

"Fascinating Rock winning the Champion Stakes was huge, and I'd have to say that was the highlight of my year, while Free Eagle winning the Prince of Wales's was another very significant win.

"Getting on Covert Love was a great help for the year as well. Any winner at that level is very important and very satisfying.

"Thankfully the season has gone well right from the start, and you need a stable behind you to be in form and consistent, and that's what the boss has been all through his career.

"The only negative is probably that Galway didn't go as well as we'd have hoped, but you can't have it every way.

"On the whole, the horses have been running consistently well and at a high level."

Looking ahead to the 2016 season, Smullen said: "Fascinating Rock will stay in training so he's one to really look forward to next year, and Almela is a filly that I really like.

"She's a very immature, babyish filly but I think with a winter on her back and a good dig in the ground next year she could be a very good filly in staying races.

"A lot of the two-year-old maiden winners have been smart.

"They all have to progress over the winter but on the whole you would have to be happy with the bunch that we have."

Sue Magnier has retained her title and will be crowned champion owner for the 13th time since 2000. Part-owner of Air Force Blue, winner of the Phoenix Stakes and the National Stakes at the Curragh, Mrs Magnier has also seen Painted Cliffs, Curvy and Coolmore land domestic Group races in her colours this season.

Aidan O'Brien has also retained his champion Flat trainers' title.

He enjoyed Classic success with Gleneagles in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Order Of St George who was a runaway winner of the Irish St Leger at the Curragh.

The master of Ballydoyle claimed notable Group One wins with Air Force Blue and Minding, who head into the winter months as clear favourites for next season's 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas respectively after cementing their class at Newmarket recently.

Connor King, 19, reclaimed the champion apprentice title he won in 2013.

His most valuable success came on the Willie McCreery-trained Colour Blue in the Dubai Duty Free Jumeirah Creekside Summer Fillies Handicap at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.

Another high point in King's season was riding out his claim at Gowran Park in early September when he won on the Rodger Sweeney-trained Daliyan.