Liam P Cusack

The most reliable combination in the yard right now is with jockey Brian Hayes, who has been aboard for 3 of those winners from 24 rides together — a win rate of around 12%, or roughly 1 in every 8. In a season where very little has gone right, that partnership stands out as the one combination worth watching. When Hayes takes the reins, things tend to happen.

One detail that genuinely stands out is how Cusack's horses seem to come alive in wet conditions. On really heavy, waterlogged ground — the kind of day most people would rather stay indoors — his runners have won 1 from just 5 races, a 20% hit rate, or 1 in every 5. For context, that is five times better than his overall record this season. It suggests the yard knows how to prepare a horse for tough conditions, and it is the sort of edge that is easy to overlook but can be very useful to know about.

The partnership with Brown Boots has produced 1 win from 9 races together, which on paper looks modest, but the consistency of that pairing suggests a horse the team knows well and keeps running for good reason. Not every yard has the luxury of a reliable, familiar face in the string, and that kind of long-term relationship between trainer and horse often tells you something about how a yard operates — methodical, patient, not easily rattled.

At four years in, Cusack is still a trainer with more to prove than to defend. The current season will sting a little, but the foundation of 21 career winners, a dependable jockey partner, and a clear advantage in testing conditions gives him something genuine to build on. The yard is one good run of form away from looking very different.