STEPH Searle, who works for Willie Mullins, Tom Mullins and Tramore Racecourse, won the Pat Smullen Cancer Trials Ireland Charity Race at the Curragh last Saturday.

Riding the Willie Mullins-trained Icare Desbois, Steph made most of the running and her mount found plenty in the closing stages to defeat Eva O’Neill on Indulging by two lengths. Pat Smullen’s son Paddy finished third on By Your Side and in fourth came ITM chief executive Charles O’Neill on Jungle Cove.

The race raises funds to support the Pat Smullen Chair in Pancreatic Cancer at UCD. The creation of this position aims to boost research into pancreatic cancer. Last month the position was filled by Professor Grainne O’Kane.

Pat Smullen’s wife Frances Crowley remains very involved in the fund and led out the jockeys for last Saturday’s race. Her daughter Hannah rode in last year’s inaugural running of the charity race and has since ridden her first winner. Paddy is expected to take out his amateur licence soon.

After Saturday’s race he said: “It was better than I could have asked for. Thanks to Gordon [Elliott] for giving me him. It was some thrill.

“There was a good bit of traffic at the start, but I think I handled it well and got him up. He helped me out as well and kept going, so it was really good.”

Web: cancertrials.ie