THE racing year so far has provided a number of high-profile retirements, with Ruby Walsh, Pat Smullen and Noel Fehily calling time on storied careers in the saddle. We have even had Michael O’Leary announcing that he will be phasing out his involvement in racing over the next few years.

Robert Rusk will be ending a 45-year involvement in racing at the Curragh next Friday night and though the same fanfare will not greet his departure, it truly does represent the end of an era.