In keeping with this week’s Melbourne Cup theme, today we are reviewing the achievements of James Bartholomew (“Bart”) Cummings. Born 14 November 1927 in Adelaide, Bart Cummings started work at his father’s stables soon after leaving school. He established his own stables at Flemington in 1968 and then in Randwick, Sydney in 1975.
He is considered one of Australia’s most successful horse trainers, having won the Melbourne Cup twelve times to date, with the horse “Think Big” winning twice in 1974 and 1975. In 1988 he became the first trainer to achieve prize winnings of more that $6 million.
He was honoured with the Order of Australia (AM) in 1982 for services to racing and carried the torch in the 2000 Olympics. Bart Cummings also appears on a stamp in 2007 as part of Australia Post’s Australian Legends series.
There were doubts that Bart Cummings would be present for this year’s Melbourne Cup in which he is running two horses – “So You Think” and “Precedence” - following hospitalisation for a serious illness. After being released on Sunday it appears he will be attending and the Victoria Racing Club has promised to take care of him on a day that is going to reach a maximum of 17 degrees.
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