The training partnership between Bart Cummings and his grandson James will continue after a week of speculation about a possible split.
Bart Cummings’ long time friend and adviser Jack Fisher said the master trainer was surprised at the publicity over what was essentially a family matter that had been easily resolved.
“Things are perfectly OK and I’m happy to say Bart and James will remain a partnership,” Fisher said.
“Although Bart is not hands-on at Randwick, racing and training horses is his interest in life 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“In any partnership, growing pains occur and they’ve had a few hiccups but the family is united and looking forward to the future.”
Fisher said Bart would be hands-on with a few horses at his Princes Farm property on Sydney’s outskirts at Hawkesbury.
“Bart will train some horse out there and when they are ready they will go to James at Randwick,” Fisher said.
Princes Farm is 15 acres and has stables and a track suitable for slow work.
The 86-year-old Cummings entered into the partnership with James at the beginning of August and the pair won stakes races with Eurozone in Sydney and Precedence in Melbourne during the spring.
James Cummings said he would make no comment other than to say he and his grandfather were a united team and it was business as usual.
Known for his 12 Melbourne Cup wins, Bart Cummings has trained a total of 266 Group One winners, second only to the late TJ Smith.
