Their friendship has spanned four decades and countless horses but for trainer Anthony Cummings and owner Gerry Harvey, the best might be still to come.
Cummings will saddle up exciting Harvey-owned filly Libertini in the Listed Woodlands Stakes (1100m) at Scone on Saturday, almost 40 years after he met the successful businessman while learning his craft under his famous father Bart.
“It goes back to Gypsy Kingdom and Best Western at Dad’s place in the late 70s,” Cummings said.
“He (Harvey) had those horses with Dad and then when I went out on my own he gave me some horses to train.
“I like buying off him. I bought Casino Prince off him, Teranaba. There’s been a long list of nice horses and we’ve always enjoyed our racing together.”
Libertini looks set to continue that trend.
A magnificently bred daughter of I Am Invincible out of Group One winner Aloha, the youngster had some early issues with shin soreness before making her debut during the Sydney autumn carnival.
She turned heads with a slashing second to Bivouac in the Group Three Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick and returned to the venue a couple of weeks later to score an emphatic maiden win.
“She went through the stable a couple of times before she went to the races. She was just a bit shinny in the preparation prior,” Cummings said.
“That slowed us up a little but nevertheless, she was there for a nice race over the carnival and did well, and she’ll do well again on Saturday.”
Tommy Berry rode Libertini in the Kindergarten and will reunite with her at Scone before she is spelled with a view to the spring.
Cummings confirmed Red Chandelier would back up from her sixth in a benchmark race on the Kensington track last weekend and take her place in the Group Three Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at Scone.
The mare will start one of the outsiders against the likes of Coolmore Classic placegetter Princess Posh but Cummings expects her to hold her own.
“She had a pretty tough run the other day and did really well to finish as close as she did. She was a bit slow out and paid the full penalty then for the wide draw,” Cummings said.
“She’s taken no harm from that, if anything she’s impressed us more and it’s an opportunity for her to get some black-type.”
Screamarr rounds out Cummings’ Scone team when he bids to break a 20-month drought from the winner’s circle in the Segenhoe Stud Benchmark 78 Handicap (2200m)
