Notable Wins: Pierse Leopardstown Handicap Chase: Mister Top Notch 2008 AIG Champion Hurdle: Hardy Eustace 2007 Guinness Gold Cup: War Of Attrition 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup: Imperial Call 1996, War Of Attrition 2006 Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase: War Of Attrition 2005 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle: Hardy Eustace 2004 + 2005 Paddy Power Handicap Chase: Keepatem 2004 Emo Oil Champion Hurdle: Hardy Eustace 2004 Martell Melling Chase: Native Upmanship 2002 + 2003 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase: Native Upmanship 2000 + 2002 Powers Gold Cup: Native Upmanship 2000 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle: Youlneverwalkalone 2000 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup: Imperial Call 1996 Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle: Redundant Pal 1990

As a jockey, Conor O’Dwyer came up through the ranks in a career that began over two decades ago and last Friday at Cheltenham, he bowed out at the very top of his profession. Now at the ripe age of 41, Conor proved himself to be more physically and mentally durable than the majority of his weighing room colleagues in a career that yielded numerous big race successes. Now, he will concentrate on his budding career as a trainer, but no one will ever be able to take away from him his substantial achievements in the saddle.

One of O’Dwyer’s highest profile early successes came on the Paddy Mullins-trained Redundant Pal in the 1990 Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle (now the Pierse Hurdle) at Leopardstown, but he first shot to international prominence when taking the mount on the Fergie Sutherland-trained Imperial Call in the 1996 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown. He set out to make all on the 4/1 shot and despite blundering at the final fence, he regained his momentum before galloping on to a six lengths success. That win was followed by an even more high profile success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following month. That victory saw a literal stampede of Irishmen converge on the Prestbury Park winner’s enclosure in celebration of the ending of an eight year drought for the Irish in the prestigious race. Perhaps more than any other, that win went a long way to endearing O’Dwyer to the Irish racing public.

The Arthur Moore-trained Native Upmanship undoubtedly has a special place in Conor O’Dwyer’s heart as he won no less than 12 races on him between 1999 and 2005, with half of those wins coming at Grade 1 level. Arguably the most memorable of his winning rides on the John Magnier-owned gelding came in the Grade 1 Melling Chase at the 2003 Aintree Grand National Festival. Having been sent off the strongly backed 5/4 favourite, one would expect any jockey to feel some added pressure, but not Conor. Having led on the bit between the final two fences, O’Dwyer held onto his mount for as long as possible, cheekily looking across at Seebald and Tony McCoy, who was riding for his life. Having jumped the last, O’Dwyer let out an inch of rein and his mount strode on to win by a hard held length, much to the delight of the Irish contingent.

The Mouse Morris-trained, JP McManus-owned Keepatem was the subject of a huge gamble in the 2004 renewal of the always competitive Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting and it was Conor O’Dwyer was trusted to do the steering. Holding his mount up at the rear of the 30-runner field, O’Dwyer showed admirable patience and skill to thread his way steadily past his rivals to lead after the final fence and gallop on strongly to prevail by four lengths in a memorable performance.

O’Dwyer’s partnership with Gigginstown House Stud over the last number of years has proved to be very successful and unquestionably the pride of place has to go to War Of Attrition. The pair lost out by just ¼-length to Brave Inca in the Supreme Novice Hurdle at the 2004 Cheltenham Festival, however compensation would be gained with interest at Prestbury Park two years later. In the interim period, the Mouse Morris-trained gelding put a poor effort in the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham behind him when O’Dwyer swooped late and fast to win the Grade 1 Swordlestown Cup at the 2005 Punchestown Festival. When upped in trip the following season, wins in the Listed Daily Star Chase and the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase soon followed. Two losses on unsuitable ground followed but it was a different story when he once again graced the Cheltenham turf for the Gold Cup in March 2006. An inspired ride from O’Dwyer saw War Of Attrition lead at the third last fence and produce two spectacular leaps at the final two obstacles before holding off the challenge of Hedgehunter by 2½ lengths. The win prompted rapturous scenes of celebration in the winner’s enclosure, the likes of which had arguably not been seen since Imperial Call’s win in the race a decade previous. He confirmed his position as the best staying chaser in training when easily winning the Guinness Gold Cup at the Punchestown Festival the following month.

O’Dwyer came in for the ride on the Dessie Hughes trained Hardy Eustace under tragic circumstances following the death of his regular rider, Kieran Kelly, in 2003. The partnership did not get off to an ideal start with a defeat at 1/4 in the Lismullen Hurdle being followed by three further reversals. Dessie Hughes’ charge looked to have a mountain to climb in the Champion Hurdle at the 2004 Cheltenham Festival, but O’Dwyer produced a virtuoso performance from the front to save enough in the tank to hold off the challenge of Rooster Booster by five lengths. The combination proved the win to be no fluke when confirming that form the following month in the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.

The early part of the 2004/2005 season was again a struggle for Hardy Eustace and O’Dwyer with their colours being lowered on three occasions before the pair gained an easy success in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle. The 2005 Champion Hurdle looked to be a significantly stronger renewal of the race than the one that preceded it, but once again O’Dwyer produced a front-running ride of the highest quality to prevail by a neck from Harchibald and Brave Inca in what was a thrilling contest. The win would prove to be the pinnacle of the pair achievements, but they did gain one more Grade 1 success together in the 2007 AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. The veteran pair had their last outing together when finishing down the field in the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last week, but the memory of their great wins together will last forever in the minds of the Irish racing public.

Since taking out his trainers license earlier this season, O’Dwyer has significantly reduced his riding activities this year, but that didn’t stop him adding to his big race tally. He rode the Oliver McKeirnan-trained Whatuthink to success in the paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle at the Christmas meeting at Leopardstown as well as riding the Davy Fitzgerald-trained Mister Top Notch to success in the Pierse Handicap Chase at the same track in January. All this O’Dwyer was saddling runners as a trainer and following a number of near misses, he gained the first winner of his new career when the Gigginstown House Stud owned-Hangover won a bumper at Punchestown in January. With a number of high profile owners already represented in the yard, Conor O’Dwyer looks to have a bright career ahead of him in the training ranks.

Updated: March 2008