Conor Cusack

I'm from Butlerstown, Co Waterford, based five minutes away from Henry de Bromhead's yard. My first association with horses was through my parents who were both big into eventing. We have a yard here at home because my grandfather, on my mum's side, used to be a Huntsmaster for Waterford. On my dad's side, my granda was more into racing and owned a few racehorses with Paddy Mullins. Mum and dad always had eventers in the yard, and we were very lucky that we got ponies from an early age and did pony club, the Irish Pony Society, and working hunters. I did pony club eventing, and I was the Junior Individual Eventing Champion in 2022. That was in Tattersalls at the Eventing Championships.

Dad always had the racing on the television and I always looked at photos of granda's old horses that he ran. I'd say from the age of four or five horses were all I had my eyes on really, including watching Tramore when it was on. Something about racing just caught my attention and I loved the whole atmosphere of it. I was in school with Henry's eldest twins Jack and Mia, and they started riding out in sixth class. I would always have gone racing with Jack and Henry to Tipperary and Tramore and those kinds of places. I suppose it was a natural progression - we were riding ponies together and Jack and Mia started riding out and told me about it in school. I kind of felt I wanted in on the action and over I went. Jack's a big part of my career and I think about him every day. His loss puts things into perspective and makes you appreciate things more when success does come.

I used to go in and ride one of the old schoolmasters every second or third Saturday. I said to Henry on my 16th birthday that I was thinking of getting my licence and I was put on the more advanced horses. I've ridden work on some of the nicer horses in Henry's like Minella Indo (Cheltenham Gold Cup winner 2021) when he was there and Quilixios (Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle winner 2021). The standard of National Hunt horses down there is so high. I remember when I first went in there, I walked around the yard and it was mindboggling to be honest with the number of Cheltenham winners. To be fair, I did no pony racing, and everything I learned, I learned in Henry's. There are great role models in there with the likes of Darragh O'Keeffe and Rachael Blackmore. Darragh's drive would rub off on you. He just looks different gravy with how strong he is on a horse. His work ethic is just unbelievable. Davy Roche, the assistant trainer, is a great man for advice and things. Everyone in there is a great help. Henry learned his trade with Sir Mark Prescott over in England, so he has a great knowledge of the Flat side of the game. I have a big interest in form and pedigrees. When I was younger, before I started racing, I was always looking at that side and who the Flat horses in the yard were related to. Henry encourages you to look at all aspects of the game.

I signed on to Henry and took my licence out in September 2024 and I had six months before my first ride. Before that ride, I could probably count on one hand how many times I actually pushed out a horse. It was a steep learning curve, but I had the right people around me. My seventh ride was a winner on Stepdance in an apprentice handicap at Limerick in July last year. That first winner is hard to put into words, I couldn't believe it. I travelled up in the box with the horse and I must have watched the replay about 50 times on the way home! It was pure disbelief that I rode a winner and for Henry as well. I went in there when I was 12 and there's people in the yard that saw me getting run away with on the old handicappers to riding my first winner on the track. There was a great buzz around the yard the next day.

I'm 18 and in sixth year at school. Henry's yard is on the way to school and I would go into Henry's on a Monday and a Friday and I get two lots out, and I can also go in on a Saturday. I can go into Pat Murphy's on a Sunday to have a second yard to support me. I have 12 winners ridden now. My second winner on Catena Zapata in an optional claimer at Killarney in July last year definitely stands out. It was in Henry's own colours and those were the colours that Jack wore pony racing. The only thing I could think about after the line was Jack. It was great that Henry trusted me with those colours. It was one of those days in racing that you won't forget. That was on my eighth racecourse ride. We pre-trained that horse ourselves at home. He had a tendon injury and Henry said if we could get him back fit and get him back riding, he was mine to ride away. We had him home for 12 weeks and we gave him back over to Henry, and had him cantering on the gallops before school or after lunch. I had my first couple of rides on him. It was great to have a horse early on in my career that I could make mistakes on without anybody giving out. I was very raw starting off and still am now, but I'm seeing progression with winners. What you see on paper is what you get with me - I haven't got the pony racing rides that some of the other apprentices starting off have. You have to put the head down. There's a lad over in Henry's called Larry Hurley and he runs a boxing club in Tramore. There's a slogan on the wall for a bit of motivation, 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard'. That's something I try to live by.

I've been so lucky with the trainers I have ridden for and the opportunities they have given me. I was third on a horse of Dermot Weld's recently (Tachos, Leopardstown, October). This time last year I wouldn't have believed you if you had said that. It is brilliant to get entrusted with horses from those trainers. To be fair, my agent Kevin O'Ryan is not just a good agent, he's a good person to go to if I have any issue. If I give one a bad ride, he would be the first one to ring me. You need someone like that to tell you what you did wrong. I'm progressing nicely and he is aiding that. I finish school next June and I am going to give the riding a good go. The main bulk of Flat racing is in July and August, and I'd like to get the ball rolling for those months. The Leaving Cert will be no burden to carry and I have the right support system around me to help to achieve, so it is up to me to keep the head down and keep working hard. Hopefully, I will bang in plenty of winners.

I love horses and I love the game. To be honest I can't sit still about racing - I'm always on the likes of irishracing.com. I wouldn't know what I would do without racing! I like to keep on top of it. It is brilliant to be involved in the Irish racing industry. It is fair, there's loyalty, and what is meant for you, won't pass you if you work hard enough. If you work hard enough, someone will spot your hard work and give you an opportunity. You have to be ready to take the opportunity, though. That's the main thing. When you are riding work with the likes of Ben Coen and Scott McCullagh, and Shane and Nathan Crosse when I can get into Danny McLoughlin's, and have a 'mouth shut, ears open' attitude, you won't go too far wrong. I get on really well with Danny and every day I go in there, I come out with new information. I'm in a great yard for all-weather horses with Pat Murphy, and I want to build up as many contacts this year and just learn as much as I can over the winter.

Conor was in conversation with Michael Graham.

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About Michael Graham

Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.

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