Cups king Bart Cummings is preparing to share the running of his racing empire with his grandson James as the maestro and the fourth generation Cummings link up to form a training partnership.
Cups King Bart Cummings to form training partnership with grandson James. Photo by Taron Clarke.
James Cummings, twenty-five, has been Bart’s Sydney foreman for several years and will officially join forces when the required paperwork and documentation has been approved by Racing New South Wales.
“I’m honoured to have Bart see the value in making this move and I’m really excited about the future,” James said.
“The processes do need to get sorted out first and foremost and that is a priority in the coming weeks and we still have to lodge the papers and get the approval by the governing body, as well as the stewards.
“But the feeling at the moment is that everyone is really happy for it to happen and hopefully it shouldn’t take too long.
“Bart is really keen about the future and looking forward to hopefully getting more Group 1 winners to his name.”
James Cummings will become a fourth generation trainer when he is issued with his trainer’s licence, following in the footsteps of great-grandfather Jim, Bart and his father Anthony who is also one of New South Wales’ leading trainers.
Bart Cummings has won twelve Melbourne Cups throughout his illustrious career and the eighty-five year old legendary trainer says it is time for him to share his sixty year training knowledge with James.
“I have been at this for more than 60 years and it is the right time for someone else to join me,” Bart Cummings said.
“I think I have the right man. I’m very proud it is James, my grandson.
“We are working out the details and it will be done in the next month or so. It will happen eventually.”
And while the partnership details are being ironed out, Cummings is preparing for another Cup victory, this time in Brisbane with last Saturday’s Doomben winner Precedence.
Precedence, who has been unplaced in three Melbourne Cups, is on track for the Group 2 $300,000 Croser Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 8 after taking out the Group 3 $125,000 The Channel Seven Premier’s Cup (2200m) at Doomben last Saturday.
Precedence has been a grand performer for the Cummings stable and even though he hasn’t been able to win at Group 1 level, he is a Group 2 winner and has earned over $1.2 million in prizemoney.
After winning at Moonee Valley early in the Spring last year, the seven year old went on to finish ninth to Green Moon in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington before a creditable third in the Group 2 $350,000 Deadly Design Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown on November 17.
The Premier’s Cup was Precedence’s fourth run back from a spell and he is primed for the 2400m of the Brisbane Cup.
