J. B. Cummings

J B (Bart) Cummings (his father was also named James, so to avoid confusion at home he was always ‘Bart’) has been an icon of Australian horse racing for longer than most can remember. He turned 80 in 2007, and trained his 12th Melbourne Cup winner in 2008.

A self-deprecating fellow, who often isn’t taken as seriously as by the press as he thinks he should be, he has been known in Australia and New Zealand as the “Cups King” for many years, due to his incredible ability to prepare horses to the minute, it seems, for the big events. He has been named a National Living Treasure in Australia, and was an early inductee to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. To the end on the 2008-09 racing season, Cummings had trained the winners of an extraordinary 253 Group One races. His success continued into 2009-10 season (after the book had been completed) with Group One wins in the Toorak Handicap, Caulfield Cup, W S Cox Plate and VRC Oaks during the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

All this has been a remarkable achievement considering as a young man he was diagnosed with allergies to horses and hay, and has suffered lifelong with asthma. The tears in his eyes after major success are always put down to his allergies.

His autobiography is told in a simple, conversational style, and one can almost here Bart telling the stories himself. His voice in the book is his voice.

Having a lifelong interest in horse racing, I was always going to add this book to my library, but I didn’t realise I would enjoy it quite so much.

It is the story of a humble man, in love with his work. It is interesting also to read his opinions on matters such as artificial racing surfaces and corporate bookmaking, both big issues in Australian racing. While there have clearly been differences with people over the years (some of which are detailed here), the reader is left with the sense that Bart Cummings is indeed a remarkable man.

It is gratifying to know also that the dynasty will continue. His son, Anthony, is already a well-established and successful trainer in his own right, and grandson James is his stable foreman in Sydney.… (more)