The `Cups King’ Bart Cummings hoped he taught his grandson James well enough. He did.
Cummings passed on the wisdom gained from more than 60 years of training racehorses, including 12 Melbourne Cup winners, to James but also made sure his grandson would make his own mark in the sport.
On a Melbourne Cup day brimming with tributes to the late legendary trainer, James trained Zarzali to win the 1700m mares’ race at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
“Without getting too emotional to get a winner on this day as a Cummings is very special, whether it was me or my father Anthony,” James said.
“Someone’s smiling on us from above.”
Anthony has forged his own successful career as a trainer and his son James started learning from Cummings five years ago before going into partnership with his grandfather in August 2013.
“He said: `You’re on your own journey now, so don’t listen to anyone wanting to compare you to anyone else. It’s about you now.’
“He said: `I hope I’ve taught you well enough.'”
James witnessed close up the awe and tremendous respect that accompanied Cummings on days like the Melbourne Cup, although dealing with the 87-year-old’s death in August hasn’t been easy.
“Two-and-a-half years ago he gave me the grounding, he put me in the box seat and made sure the spotlight was on me so I was prepared for the last couple of months,” James said.
“To be truthful it hasn’t been easy but there’s been plenty of support from those nearest and dearest to me so I’ve been very thankful for that.”
The Cup-day race named in Cummings’ honour – the JB Cummings AM Tribute Plate – was won by De Little Engine, trained by Danny O’Brien who worked for the trainer for three years.
“He was my first boss and a great influence on my training career,” the Flemington trainer said.
“When I won the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate he was really pleased and proud that someone who had worked for him had gone on and won those big races as well.”
James is training on his own now but says it is a case of business as usual.
“The show’s got to go on. My grandfather would have wanted it that way.”
