Cups King Bart Cummings and grandson James Cummings will continue to train out of Randwick after the saga surrounding their much publicized family split has been resolved.
Precedence wins the G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes for Bart and James Cummings. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Only months after forming a training partnership, it was feared that Bart and James would go their own ways from January 1 and train separately with reports that Bart would set up a training base at Hawkesbury, close to his Princes Farm where he spends most of his time.
Legal representative Jack Fisher told The Daily Telegraph that the 86-year-old legend and his grandson will continue to train together out of Randwick in Sydney and Flemington in Melbourne.
“I’ve been Bart’s power of attorney, advisor and friend for many years and I can tell you, in Bart’s words the Cummings dynasty is a united family and I’m happy to say all is well now,” Fisher said.
“Quite frankly, this did get a little out of hand and that happens when some people not authorised to speak, do say things to the media.
“There had to be a few amendments, a restructuring of the business, but the issues have been overcome and the training partnership continues.”
Fisher went on to say that Bart has the “right to, wants to, and is relied upon to be the advisor of all things with the horses.”
“Bart is as happy as larry now, he knows what is going on,” Fisher continued.
“He is 86 and obviously can’t train with the intensity of a young man but he is on the phone to James all the time talking about the horses.
“James will travel out to Princes Farm at least once a week to discuss with Bart what is happening with their horses and the training programs.”
While long time Sydney employee Bill Charles has tendered his resignation, the Flemington stable will be left in the hands of Reg Fleming who has been at the helm for over ten years.
Bart Cummings is a legend of Australian racing, training twelve Melbourne Cup winners among his two hundred and sixty-six Group 1 winners.
The partnership has trained fourteen winners together and narrowly missed out on having a runner in this year’s Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5 when the rejuvenated Precedence just missed out gaining a start.
Even though Precedence won the Group 2 $250,000 Drake International Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 in the lead up to the Melbourne Cup, it was not enough to gain a spot in the ‘Race That Stops The Nation’.
The eight year old then went on to win the Group 3 $300,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington on November 9.
The Bart and James Cummings name was quickly in the winner’s stall after teaming up together in August with Eurozone winning the Listed $100,000 The Rosebud (1200m) at Randwick on August 10 and the three year old followed that up with a win in the Group 2 $250,000 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on September 28.
