Cups King Bart Cummings died peacefully in his sleep overnight, aged 87.
Bart trained a record 12 Melbourne Cup winners, seven more than the next best Lee Freedman, in addition to seven Caulfield Cup winners, nine VRC Oaks, eight Newmarkets, five Cox Plates, and four Golden Slippers among his 266 Group One winners, and 762 Stakes champions.
Bart was an extraordinarily gifted horse trainer, and a damn good bloke with a whimsical sense of humour.
Especially as a medico once told him as a young bloke to stay away from horses and hay because he was allergic to both.
In a long interview five years ago for my “Green and Gold Greats” series on ABC NewsRadio, Bart told me he sought other opinions until he found a medico who didn’t mention horses or hay.
Just as well, or a future icon of Australian sport would have been lost before he had a chance to prove himself.
His office at his Sydney stables was indicative of the man.
It was cluttered with fascinating memorabilia all round the four walls, on a secondary table, and on the floor, and all the space that was left was Bart’s desk that was cluttered as well, and a chair for me to sit on.
I felt as though I was surrounded by history that demanded questions to be asked, but Bart’s time was precious so we got on with the interview.
Bart was a fascinating bloke with a twinkle in his eye as he spoke beneath those huge eyebrows.
His odd quips were just like Jack Gibson, the great rugby league coach.
Droll is probably a better description for them both.
I asked Bart about his father Jim who rode his horse over 1000 miles to Adelaide to keep a promise to himself to be a champion racehorse trainer.
“Don’t know, wasn’t around at the time,” was Bart’s impish reply.
But Bart was around as a strapper when his father trained Comic Court to win the 1950 Melbourne Cup in an Australasian record time of 3 minutes 19.5 seconds.
Bart sure liked the taste of that victory.
He secured his first trainer’s licence in 1953, won his first race in 1958, and he was on his way to becoming an Australian sporting icon.
But it wasn’t just his success as a trainer, although the owners he worked for loved that best, it was more that Bart Cummins was a wonderful ambassador for the Sport of Kings.
And he moved just as freely among royalty as he did with the general public.
Everybody loved him, he was that sort of bloke.
He will be sorely missed, men like Bart Cummins are so rare they only surface every generation or two.
Jason Cave
Guest
If the late Bart Cummings 12 Melbourne Cup winners was involved in a 'dream' race at the Melbourne Cup distance of 3200m, who'd win? -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
glen
Guest
I think perhaps some of the comments over the weekend were a reflection of the public view of the racing industry moreso than Bart himself.
David Lord
Expert
Trust you have kept winning Scott?
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Hi David, Bart had a lot to do with me getting "hooked" on racing. As a kid in 1966 I was on my way to school and my mum told me that she had put me in the Bowling Club Melbourne Cup sweep and I had drawn out a horse called "Galilee". I had never heard of Galilee, but the horse that Bart Cummings had purchased for only 3,780 pounds managed to win the Cup and that was it - racing has been in my life ever since. Thanks Bart.
David Lord
Expert
A wonderful insight into the great man Jarijari, many thanks for your input to stuff the knockers.
David Lord
Expert
Jason, my favourite was the combination of Saintly and deeply religious jockey Darren Beadman in 1996. But there's a strong argument for Think Big's back to back wins in 1974 and 1975 with Harry White on board at the height of his stellar career winning four Melbourne Cups in just six years.
Jarijari
Guest
There's nothing in Australian sports history to compare with the Bart Art, even Bradman's 99.94 Test average. The skills needed to prepare 12 disparate thoroughbreds to win the Melbourne Cup will never be approached, let alone threatened. Yet in a disgusting show of vitriol unleashed on social media yesterday, some suggested the great man who had just passed away at 87 had abused or even tortured animals. Outrageous and obscene. Bart loved every horse who came under his care and they responded by winning so many races. Indeed, he kept a card on each one, noting what and how much they were fed each day, keeping a close eye on their temperament and how they reacted to his training procedures, being patient with their development and clearly understanding whether each race they performed was beneficial or detrimental, always regarding them as individuals. He did not push his horses beyond their limits and certainly never instructed his jockeys to flog them with the whip. Thoroughbreds are magnificent and graceful, yet highly-strung, finicky animals, but they enjoy nothing more than galloping, and getting up to an awesome pace as they do so. I watched Bart's methods closely as a racing journalist in the 70s and 80s, and he was so successful in his coaching methods that other trainers and observers could only look on in awe of him. Bart was often regarded as taciturn and aloof, but that was probably a smokescreen. He just did what he did best -- training racehorses -- not inclined to say too much, and was described by some as shy, yet even among his closest friends and work colleagues he was often depicted as a mystery man. Whatever was going on inside that brilliant mind, I found him remarkably engaging and helpful. As a nervous teenager, I once interviewed him outside the old Australian Jockey Club offices at Sydney's Randwick racecourse. The man who rarely conceded more than a few one-liners to the seasoned veterans of the press provided me with sufficient information for three or four stories about his best horses and how they might perform at the upcoming spring carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne. Then, to my amazement, he asked about my background, why I was interested in racing, what I hoped to achieve in my career. I mentioned that that my mother's parents had emigrated from the west coast of Ireland and that their surname was Cummins. "We might well be related," he replied, "you know they can't spell over there."
Jason Cave
Guest
Out of the 12 horses that won Bart Cummings the Melbourne Cup, which one do you think was his best Cup winner? -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
David Lord
Expert
Many thanks sheek for adding to the Bart Cummings image, he was a very special and individual bloke, Interviewing him took on an art form, you never knew when he would hit you with a classic quote from left field, a slice of priceless Bart wisdom, or he was joking, or testing, and waiting for a reaction. One thing for sure, I always left him feeling uplifted by the experience.
sheek
Guest
Hi Lordy, We've lost a very special one. Bart had a dry wit. One that I remember fondly is when the health inspector visited his stables. "You have too many flies here", intoned the inspector somewhat annoyed. "Well", replied Bart, "how many am I supposed to have"? Great wit!
Worlds Biggest
Guest
RIP to Bart, an Australian great.