Cummings’ carnival conquests 

Headline photo: Damien Oliver and Bart Cummings prior to Viewed's 2008 Brisbane Cup win

By Ross Stanley

The beginnings

Bartholomew James Cummings (November 14, 1927 - August 30, 2015) took out a trainer’s licence in May 1953.  

He was in caretaker mode for the Adelaide string of his father Jim while he was visiting Ireland with his wife, Nancy-Anne. When the trip stretched from weeks to months, the stewards moved to formalise matters. 

Bart always acknowledged the immeasurable influence Jim’s basic training principles had on his methodology. He was also fortunate to be the strapper and rider between workouts for Comic Court, the superbly versatile stallion that Jim had a hand in breeding and training. 

Among the 23 principal race successes garnered by the son of  Powerscourt and the Anton King mare, Witty Maid, were the 1950 Melbourne Cup, 1948 Victoria Derby and the 1951 William Reid Stakes in which he set a new Moonee Valley course record for six furlongs. 

Outlined below are Bart Cummings’ key successes in Queensland where he registered 15 Group 1 victories. 

The 1960s 

During the Glenelg-born horseman’s initial visit to New Zealand in 1958, the future national Hall of Fame inductee was enamoured with the natural environmental qualities of its northern thoroughbred nurseries.  

After feeling his way in the yearling buying game, Cummings struck gold there in 1960 with the Le Filou (Fr)-Cuddlesome (NZ) and Summertime (GB)-Nereid (NZ) colts. The pair that raced as The Dip and Sometime respectively started off with Bart. 

The former was owned by Wally Broderick. The sire’s name means “a thief”. Hence the link to a pickpocket. Later, The Dip’s younger sister was not for sale but Cummings secured a lease for Broderick. As Light Fingers, she lifted Bart’s first Melbourne Cup in 1965. 

Nereid, a daughter of Neptune (GB), means “sea nymph”. The mating of her daughter Galston with Alcimedes (GB) produced Galilee, the stable’s 1966 Cup hero. Cummings was not deterred by the horse’s conformation flaws and his awkward walking gait. Jim’s view was that no horse was perfect and that its bloodlines should hold sway. 

Another example was Red Handed. The chestnut’s club foot reduced his price to 870 guineas. In 1967, the Le Filou gelding made it a Cup hat trick for Bart. Like Light Fingers, he was from a Red Mars mare. 

Meanwhile, Sometime showed his wares in 1960 with Caulfield Guineas and VRC Derby placings and a sterling sixth in the Melbourne. However, a mortal blow was looming. 

Cilldara, after failing badly at Gawler, landed a massive 33s to 7s plunge at Morphettville on 25 November 1961. The filly wore blinkers, gear which had recently been approved for use in South Australia. 

The upshot was that Cummings was disqualified for a year. Although Jim made a comeback to substitute for him, Jack, Bob and Arthur Lee transferred Sometime to Les Patterson. The bay’s subsequent 10 feature wins included the 1961 Caulfield Cup and a dead heat with Conference in the 1963 Ipswich Cup.  

During Bart’s absence, The Dip took out the 1962 AJC Metropolitan. In 1965, the brown gelding was Cummings’ first important placegetter in the Sunshine State. After running second in the Adelaide Cup, he was runner-up at Eagle Farm in Bore Head’s Churchill Stakes and third in Fair Patton’s P.J. O’Shea Stakes. Alas, the six-year-old ricked his back in the Brisbane Cup and was tailed off. 

The three-year-old Fulmen (NZ), the yard’s promising tourist in 1966, staked his claim with a victory in the SAJC St Leger and an eye-catching second in the Adelaide Cup. The son of Le Filou and Dulcie saluted in the QTC Sir Winston Churchill Stakes. 

It was testimony to Cummings’ foresight that he had tapped into what was to be an exceptional family. Dulcie also foaled the Kiwi champion Balmerino, Fileur, Gay Filou and Micheline, the dam of the stellar filly Surround, Lord Hybrow and Purple Patch. 

With the 1966 VATC Coongy Handicap, 1967 SAJC West End Draught Stakes and the 1967 Adelaide Cup under his belt, Fulmen headed back to Brisbane. 

His effort in the P.J. O’Shea Stakes was such that The Courier Mail journalist Jim Anderson vowed to paint Brisbane’s Story Bridge with a toothbrush if Fulmen prevailed in the Brisbane Cup.  

After the 8/1 shot had a  long head on Striking Force at the end of that Cup, Anderson obliged by using a toothbrush to paint a small picture of the Story Bridge. 

Fulmen sported Victor and Lila Peters’ white with brown circles livery, the colours carried later by the brilliant Matrice entire Taj Rossi. His ancestry involved Solar Eclipse and Crown Appeal, broodmares Jim Cummings fondly knew well. It was a case of sticking with good families. 

Swift General (1967 South Australian St Leger, 1967 VRC Duke of Norfolk Stakes), Cummings other Brisbane Cup aspirant, finished third. 

He was by Alcimedes (GB) from Froth (Auckland Cup, New Zealand Oaks), the dam of Cummings’ 1971 Adelaide winner Laelia. 

Froth’s grand-daughter Malt produced Horlicks (1989 Japan Cup) who, in turn, foaled Brew (2000 Melbourne Cup). 

 Galilee and Fulmen combined to give their master the Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Caulfield and Sandown Cups in the 1966-67 season. 

Peppino, the minor placegetter in the 1966 Doomben Cup, filled the same spot in the 1967 Stradbroke.

The 1970s  

The three-year-old Chilton couldn’t quite breakthrough in 1971. The Oncidium (NZ) gelding struck himself when third in Mode’s QTC Grand Prix. There was no winter time Derby. The 1971 classic was the last to be staged in the spring. After passing a race morning veterinary check, Chilton finished second in the Brisbane Cup. 

After a decisive display in the 1974 BATC Delaney Quality, Tontonan (1973 Golden Slipper, AJC Sires Produce Stakes,1974 Oakleigh Plate, AJC Doncaster, All Aged Stakes) looked to be a Stradbroke certainty. Alas, the Showdown gelding’s leg problem flared up and he was withdrawn.  

 Starglow, the former West Australian mare by Comet (GB), furnished first prize money in the 1974 IATC Eye Liner Stakes. Her fine Perth achievements, with the Railway Handicap, Winterbottom Stakes and Lee Steere Stakes among her seven key wins, had been backed up with a successful tilt at the 1974 AJC Galaxy.  

Asgard (1973 WATC Derby, 1974 AJC Australasian Champion Stakes,1973 SAJC Derby runner-up) won the 1974 QTC Grand Prix, ran third in the 1974 QTC Derby and second in the 1975 Ipswich Cup. 

Homesdale Charles “Slinger” Nitschke, the 1930s South Australian cricketer who donned the national side’s baggy green, owned the son of Hermes (GB), the sire of Van Der Hum (1976 Melbourne Cup).  

Think Big (1973 VRC Carbine Club Stakes, 1974 Ballarat Miners Cup) was third in both the 1974 Grand Prix and the Brisbane Cup but saluted in that year’s Churchill Stakes. 

The 1974-75 Melbourne Cup winner was a speculative investment for Cummings. He had no client in mind when he bought the Sobig (NZ)-Sarcelle (NZ) yearling for just $10,000. Luckily, in more ways than one, jockey Glynn Pretty introduced him to Tan Cin Nam, a wealthy Malaysian property tycoon who became a pre-eminent patron. Later, a homeland knighthood saw the title Dato added to his name.  

He originally raced Think Big with the Queensland couple Rick and Joan O’Sullivan. Tunku Abdul Rahman, the former Malaysian Prime Minister, was on board with them for the second Tuesday triumph. 

Gladman, another of Sobig’s progeny, picked up the 1973 VRC Australian Cup and ran second in the 1974 Doomben Cup. 

According to Turf Monthly (October 1975), the 1974-75 season was the first occasion that Cummings surpassed Tommy Smith in the prize money and features categories. The magazine indicated that their respective scores were $1,397,877 and 34 wins to $1,262,446 and 20. 

In 1975, Bart Cummings added another Brisbane Cup to his trophy list, courtesy of Hermes’ daughter Herminia (1974 SAJC St Leger, 1975 West End Draught Stakes). The 10/1 chance was ridden by Alan Trevena.  

Her highly credentialled, regally bred stablemate Dayana had to be content with the third place.  

“Slinger” Nitschke’s Oncidium gelding was superb at three, gathering up the 1972 Victoria Derby, the Derby in Adelaide, the Western Australian Derby  the Australian Derby and the 1973 Perth Cup.  

Dayana was the son of the Agricola mare Dicidiana  (NZ) and great-grandson of Sunbride (GB), the mother of General Command (1967 AJC Metropolitan,1968 Sydney Cup), Straight Draw (1957 AJC Metropolitan, Melbourne Cup,1958 Sydney Cup,) and Ilumquh (1960 Caulfield Cup). 

Encouraged by Dayana’s third in Battle Heights’ 1974 Sydney Cup , Cummings took the four-year-old north. He was third behind Think Big in the Churchill Stakes and came back in 1975 to claim second prize in the same contest. Given that he had won the 1975 Duke of Norfolk Stakes (3200m) and downed all except Soulman and Bottled Sunshine (NZ) in the Adelaide Cup, Dayana started at 4/1 in the Brisbane Cup. Conceding Herminia 8kg a bridge too far and so the minor place money was his reward. 

Bottled Sunshine, Cummings’ other hope in that staying test, was fifth home. The Oncidium three-year-old from the Agricola mare Farm Lass had won the Queensland Derby and the WATC Derby. 

On the strength of his 1977 BATC Delaney Handicap success, Martindale (1975 VATC Futurity Stakes) was the favourite for the $125,000 Stradbroke. Although the gelding by the New Zealand-based sire Idomeneo from the Le Filou mare Kairata could only fill fifth spot in Eagle Farm’s signature event, he managed a third place in Spedito’s Doomben 10,000. 

Although Cummings described his Maybe Lad-Faithfully Yours filly as easily the smallest, weediest yearling he’d ever trained, Maybe Mahal developed into a classy conveyance that conquered seven sets of elite level rivals. 

In 1976, she missed a place in the Stradbroke after finishing third in an Eagle Farm Flying. The next year she was third in the Stradbroke prior to taking out the Doomben 10,000 with Cummings’ other hopeful Romantic Dream earning third money. 

Coronation Boy’s grand-daughter completed her time on the turf with a 1978 hat trick comprising the VRC Lightning, VRC Newmarket and the AJC Doncaster. 

Ngawyni, the best of Zvornik’s bloodstock, parcelled up five key Perth races that included the 1975 West Australian Guineas-Derby double before entering the Cummings’ yard. 

The horse that was named after a boat defied his sprinter’s genes with five of his 14 black type successes achieved over 2400m or further. 

His prime eastern wins were the 1976 STC Hill Stakes, 1977 VATC Carlyon Cup, 1977 VRC Australian Cup, MVRC Moonee Valley Cup and AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes. His Queensland haul that year embraced wins in the GCTC Prime Minister’s Cup and QTC O’Shea Stakes and a second in the Brisbane Cup with 59.5kg.  

Cummings’ problem solving capabilities remedied Ngawyni’s sour and cranky period. He rightly resolved that the mood that exasperated jockey Roy Higgins at trackwork was driven by an issue with corns. 

Ming Dynasty was a marvel, collecting Caulfield Cups at ages four and seven. Although the Planet Kingdom gelding was winless in Queensland, he captured major Group 1 events in the ensuing southern springs. 

His northern placings were in the 1977 Uhr Quality,1977 Grand Prix, a 1978 BATC Handicap, O’Shea Stakes, Churchill Stakes, Brisbane Cup, Tattersall’s Cup and Doomben Cup. 

Jim Cummings had always stressed the need to keep horses happy. Ming Dynasty proved the point. During his retirement as a Randwick clerk of the course pony, he walked back into his old stall at nearby Leilani Lodge. Staff altered Bart about the stranger’s presence. The grey stood there, possibly expecting someone to close the door behind him. 

Belmura Lad, after an unplaced debut in November 1976, went to Cummings when his trainer Clarrie Conners was disqualified because of a barrier trial identity issue. Belmura Lad was spelling and his owners could not wait until Conners resumed work. 

The winner of the 1977 STC Canterbury Guineas the AJC Derby won the 1978 BATC Sir Clive Uhr Quality before beating all bar Lefroy (1977 Rosehill Guineas, 1978 AJC Australasian Champion Stakes) in the 1978 QTC Grand Prix and QTC Derby. 

At four, the bay added the Doncaster, All Aged Stakes, and the Canberra National Stakes prior to running second in the Rothman’s Mile at the Gold Coast and scoring in the O’Shea Stakes. 

Belmura Lad did not race the following season but won the 1980 Mackinnon Stakes and chalked up three seconds in Brisbane in 1981 in the XXXX Quality Handicap, the O’Shea Stakes and the Doomben Cup. 

Better Beyond won the 1978 IATC Eye Liner Stakes and successfully stepped up in the 1979 VRC Newmarket. 

Lloyd Boy was on top in the 1978 Ipswich Cup and the Caulfield Stakes. After a close second in Vo Rogue’s 1979 Futurity Stakes, he was first home in the VATC Carlyon Cup. However, the anti-inflammatory relieving substance oxyphenbutazone was detected. The defence was that there had been a mix up in the feed bin allocations. Cummings was outed for three months. 

The 1980s 

Storm Ruler’s son Stormy Rex (1977 VRC Derby, SAJC Derby, WATC Derby) did not shine in his BATC Haig Handicap and Doomben Cup appearances in Brisbane in 1980. The outcome probably confirmed his disliking for competing on clockwise circuits.  

The gelding had strong ties to the Cummings  clan through his paternal grand-dam Storm Gleam, a dual stakes-winner prepared by Jim. His son, Pat, bred the quality performers Anna Rose, Storm Ruler, L’Orage Boy and the mercurial Storm Queen by matching her with Coronation Boy. Bart trained all four. 

Storm Gleam’s brother Stormy Passage, courtesy of the 1958 SAJC Derby, was Bart’s first feature winner. 

 The 1987 Queensland Oaks went to Round The World (Ken Russell). She was by Sea Anchor (Ire), the winner of England’s two mile Doncaster Cup  in 1976. 

Tommy Smith’s pin up Bounding Away was the hottest of unplaced favourites in the Queensland classic. In the earlier Sydney counterpart, the grey filly had a length on the runner-up Round The World so the revenge was sweet. She followed up with a second in the Brisbane Cup and a third to Lord Hybrow in the same event in 1988. Her lead up form for that edition included an AJC Chairman’s Handicap victory and a second in the Sydney Cup.  

During the 1987 carnival, Bart predicted a bright future for his QTC Castlemaine (now J.J. Atkins) Stakes placegetter  Gold Trump. He was right as the bay’s name is on the VRC Newmarket honour board. 

Cummings was wise to holler for a Marshall during this period. John was sensational for the team, landing five Group 1s for it across three winters. 

In 1987 he booted home the lightly weighted Broad Reach (NZ) in both the Tourist Minister’s (now Kingsford Smith) Cup and, at 6/4, the Doomben 10,000. 

The Zephyr Bay colt had taken out the Moonee Valley Stakes and the AJC Up and Coming Stakes earlier in the spring. 

In 1988, Marshall was at other end of the handicap scale when Campaign King ruled in both elite sprints. In the Doomben 10,000 he carried 58. Six weeks later he coped with a half kilogram more in the Stradbroke. 

Cummings, as astute as ever, kept the expert warhorse fresh and didn’t start him between those two tough tasks. 

Campaign King spent his two and three-year-old seasons successfully with Berrigan trainer Les Theodore. All up, seven of his 16 Black-Type wins were at Group 1 level. His overall career tally was 56:23-5-2 for a prizemoney total of $1,832,840.  

Another Zephyr Bay colt in Full And By won the 1988 AJC Champagne Stakes and the BATC Channel Nine Stakes. 

Zamoff, a grey by Zamazaan (Fr) from the Sovereign Edition (Ire) mare Offwego (NZ), collected the 1989 QTC Sires Produce Stakes trophy. He went on to win the MVRC Herald Vase before running second in the VRC Derby.  

Marshall was back in the winner’s circle after the 1989 Stradbroke, which went to the Steel Pulse  gelding Robian Steel (9/1) by a short half-head over the Noel Doyle-trained Don’t Play in a much discussed decision. 

Robian Steel joined Bart’s string when Graham Loader, the trainer for its 1988 Eye Liner Stakes victory, was disqualified. 

Doyle had a double disappointment. His star galloper Stylish Century was transferred to Cummings’ team during Stradbroke week. 

The 1990s 

The era opened with Solar Circle on top in the 1990 Rosehill Guineas and the Queensland Guineas.  

In the Derby, the chestnut by Star Way reared and caught a leg over the barrier gate. His late scratching created controversy. 

Coolong Road also won the Guineas in 1992 and the 1993 BATC Labour Day Cup. 

Bart Cummings pulled off a mammoth plunge by a margin of four lengths when Never Undercharge (Steven King, 7/2, 50kg) overcame gate 18 in the 1993 $252,000 Stradbroke. 

The Lord Seymour (Ire) three-year-colt, with six wins from nine starts, had romped away with the SAJC Angus Brut Stakes in mid-May. Cummings’ hardest work was convincing connections to hold off spelling the sprinter that also came up trumps in the spring in the  MVRC Manikato Stakes. 

1997 was surprisingly brilliant. Although the Danehill three-year-old Dane Ripper had shown useful signs with her win in the Listed P.J Bell Stakes in Sydney, her three outings in Brisbane elevated her to another level. After she was luckless as favourite in female company at Doomben from the outside gate, she unleashed a withering run at 16/1 for Chris Munce to run away with the Stradbroke. Next up, she got away with the Winter Stakes (now Tatt’s Tiara). Dane Ripper’s nine appearances at three generated a 4-1-4 form line. 

Subsequently, the daughter of the Group 1-winning Sovereign Red mare, Red Express, that Bart trained gathered up the 1997 Cox Plate at 40/1, the 1998 St George Stakes, VRC Australian Cup, MVRC Manikato Stakes and the VATC Memsie Stakes.  

The 2000s 

Cummings was a part-owner of the Redoute’s Choice colt Empire’s Choice, the 2007 Queensland Derby sash wearer that survived a protest from the runner-up Volcanic Star. In a nail biting finish,t he margin was a head with Sirmione, Bart’s other aspirant, next in a half-head away. 

Empire’s Choice’s rider, Damien Oliver, wore Cummings’ patriotic green and gold striped jacket that he registered back in the 1950s. 

In the lead up, Sirmione prevailed in the Grand Prix while Empire’s Choice, a grandson of Empire Rose (1988 Melbourne Cup), had downed his foes in the Rough Habit Plate. 

For Viewed’s seven length win on soft going in the 2008 Brisbane Cup, Oliver donned the black and white checked colours of the chess aficionado Dato Tan Chin Nam.  

The stayer’s name appears to be derived from his sire Scenic (Ire). Another twist is that in French, “vie” is life and “wed” links with the stayer’s dam Lovers Knot. 

Bart was delighted that he had earlier talked the owners into refraining from selling Viewed to Hong Kong interests. However, he rued the race’s drop back to 2400m and its downgrading to Group 2. 

An advantage of the alterations is that Viewed was only given 53kg for the 2008 Melbourne Cup. His margin, at 40/1, over Bauer on that day was the barest possible. Bart had followed Oliver’s advice to remove the blinkers on Battle Heights’ relative. 

Viewed franked all the form with glory in the 2009 Caulfield Cup with 57kg at 12/1. 

Bart, aged 81, was in Sydney when his new lodger Russeting ($19) prevailed in the 2009 Winter Stakes (now Tatt’s Tiara) at her debut for her new side. 

The Commands mare had proved prosperous for Toowoomba conditioner Donald “Duck”  Baker with  the 2009 equivalent of today’s Helen Coughlan Stakes her best attainment.The shift was triggered by her sale for $300,000 earlier in the  month. 

The winning hoop Michael Cahill rode for Cummings when he had a Brisbane satellite stable in 2001.  

Dariana has the honour of being Cummings’ final Group 1 winner in Brisbane. The expensive Redoute’s Choice filly paraded her potential by annexing the AJC Packer Plate for Dato Tan Chin Nam. 

In the Queensland Oaks, the well-backed Dariana turned her head sideways and refused to jump. She was declared a runner but compensated by easily winning the Queensland Derby with Michael Rodd aboard. Kutchinsky and Miss Keepsake, respective winners of the Grand Prix and the Oaks completed the trifecta. 

Precedence was Bart Cummings’ last feature winner in Queensland. The perennial Melbourne Cup starter with two Moonee Valley Cups to boot got away with the 2013 BRC Premier’s Cup. 

The old warrior by Zabeel was a favourite of Reg Fleming. Having cut his teeth with Bruce McLachlan in his early days at Cribb Island, the expert horseman began working with the Cummings clan in the 1980s. The long time Melbourne (and travelling) foreman for the team is a passionate attendant to thoroughbred welfare during and after their careers. He has a metal feed measuring dipper inscribed with the names of the outstanding horses he tended to.  

Bart, who formed a partnership with his grandson James Cummings for the 2013-2014 racing year, passed away in 2015.