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2015 Melbourne Cup: Precedence set for fifth Cup tilt

Bart Cummings
15th July, 2015
5

Grand old stayer Precedence will attempt to make the Melbourne Cup for a fifth time, with the veteran looking set to qualify by a path that pays tribute to his grand old trainer, Bart Cummings.

James Cummings, speaking on Racing Ahead on RSN, told the programme that the Cummings team – James and Bart – are setting the soon to be ten-year old Precedence for The Bart Cummings at Flemington, with the Listed race recently given an exemption for the winner to the Melbourne Cup.

“He’s actually going terrific – we had a little plan to be first-up in the Chelmsford (Stakes) at Randwick and if he’s in good form we’ve got our eye on the Bart Cummings to bring him down to Melbourne third-up for that race,” said Cummings on RSN.

“I think that’s really going to be his race – and create an exemption for the Melbourne Cup and I think he should really relish the 2500m at Flemington.

“I get the feeling that he’s still got some good racing in him this preparation.”

James says that his grandfather Bart was excited with the move to make The Bart Cummings a ballot exempt race to gain entry for the Melbourne Cup.

“I suspect he’s very honoured, he appreciates the steps taken and he understands the difficulty in doing that and the consequences and the importance of a decision like that,” he said.

“(Bart has) been a long-time advocator for a race like that to ensure an exemption for the Melbourne Cup.

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“He’s now got his wish so he’s been determined to find a horse good enough to win it and that’s why we’ve got a really single-minded approach with Precedence to try and get the job done with him.”

Precedence is looking for his fifth start in the race with the stayer a consistent runner in his four starts in the great race.

He first ran in the Melbourne Cup in 2010 and has only been out of the top ten once when starting. He missed the 2013 Melbourne Cup by just short of having done enough to gain entry, and proceeded to win the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes shortly after.

In last year’s Melbourne Cup he finished in sixth place after starting the race at $80 odds.

The oldest winner of the Melbourne Cup is eight-years old, back in 1964.

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