In the third of our in-depth articles into the sights of our Sports Lovers Tours, we take a look at some of the monuments and tributes dotted around Flemington Racecourse. As with previous pieces, this article won’t cover all the things we talk about on tour but rather takes a more in-depth look at more specific points of interest. There is a lot to cover, so this blog will be in several parts.
We’ll start by taking a look at the two-legged legends who have been immortalised by statues at Flemington Racecourse…
Bart Cummings Statue
The Cups King’s statue has been moved since we took this photo and sadly the horse-head bollards did not make the journey with him. Dedicated around 2000, the statue made the move from the Betting Ring to the front of the Grand Stand in 2016 when the old 1920’s Members stand was demolished to accommodate the luxurious new members grandstand which opened in October 2018.
Born in Adelaide on November 14th, 1927 to James Martin Cummings and his wife Annie (nee Whelton). Bart passed away peacefully in his sleep at his homestead on Princes Farm, Castlereagh in the foothills of the Blue Mountains on August 30th, 2015 aged 87. It was just two days after the 61st anniversary of his marriage to wife Velmae.
Nicknamed “The Cups King”, James Bartholomew Cummings trained many horses to success over his 63 years as a licenced trainer. During his career he gathered a whopping 12 Melbourne Cup trophies with Light Fingers in 1965, Galilee in 1966, Red Handed in 1967, Think Big in 1974 and 1975, Gold and Black in 1977, Hyperno in 1979, Kingston Rule in 1990, Let’s Elope in 1991, Saintly in 1996, Rogan Josh in 1999 and Viewed in 2008. His next nearest competitors have 5 apiece; Lee Freedman (1989, 1992, 1995, 2004 and 2005) and Etienne De Mestre (1861, 1962, 1867, 1877 and 1878). I think it’s safe to venture that his record will not be overtaken or even matched.
In total he trained horses to win over 250 Group 1 races which, in addition to the 12 Melbourne Cups, included 7 Caulfield Cups, 4 Golden Slippers, 13 Australian Cups, 5 Cox Plates, 5 VRC Oaks and 9 Newmarket Handicaps.
This is a small sample of the trophies that Bart Cummings earned over his career, 149 of which are on display inside Saintly Place at Flemington Racecourse. Check them out next time you’re at the races or book a Private Tour with us
In 1982, Bart became a member of the Order of Australia. He was an inaugural inductee into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2001 alongside 3 of his fellow trainers Colin Hayes, James Scobie and Tommy Smith. In 2004, he became the first trainer to be given a Lifetime Membership to the Victorian Racing Club.
At the completion of the 1989/1990 season Bart became the first trainer to win the Trainers Premiership in 3 different states (NSW, VIC and SA). Two days shy of his 64th birthday (1991) Bart was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and elevated to Legend of Australian Sport in 2008. In addition to his many Trainer of the Year accolades, he saw 9 of his trainees be named Champion Racehorse of the Year: Dayana, Taj Rossi, Leilani, Lord Dudley, Maybe Mahal, Hyperno, Beau Zam, Let’s Elope and Saintly.
His first taste of Melbourne Cup success was as 23-year-old strapper to Comic Court in 1950, Bart’s father Jim Cummings, was Comic Court’s trainer.
His first Melbourne Cup entry as a trainer was Asian Court in 1958, 5 years into his training career. Asian Court finished 12th, three places behind his father’s horse, Auteuil. In 1959, his horse Trellios came in 5th. No entries in 1960, he took 6th in 1961 with Sometime. 1962 through 1964 did not see Bart enter a horse into the Melbourne Cup.
But he burst back with a major statement in 1965 as his horses took out first and second place with Light Fingers half a head in front of Ziema; his third entry, The Dip, finished 18th. Interestingly, Bart had actually backed Ziema to win it. Sadly, Bart’s father Jim did not live to see his son win his first Melbourne Cup, passing away earlier that year.
Bart repeated his feat of first and second place the following year, 1966, when Galilee came in two lengths ahead of Light Fingers. A year later, 1967, he became the first trainer to win three back-to-back Melbourne Cups with Red Handed. His other 1967 entries were Fulmen in 9th and Ziema, who this time finished 12th.
In 1968 he opened stables at Flemington which he later named Saintly Place. Flemington re-dedicated a general admission area beneath the Hill Stand and named it Saintly Place in honour of both. They had started the million-dollar, Bart-endorsed renovation prior to his passing in 2015 but it was not unveiled until 5 months after his death. Bart’s son Anthony and one of his daughters, Anne-Marie, were both present at the unveiling along with his 1999 Melbourne Cup winner, Rogan Josh who attended as part of his ‘retirement’ duties at Living Legends.
One of our favourite horses at Living Legends is the sweet-natured gelding, Rogan Josh
In the 1974, Bart became the first trainer in the entire British Commonwealth to train winners of more than one million dollars in prize money. More than one-tenth of that prize money came from his 1974 Melbourne Cup efforts, Think Big took the big money ($105kon) by one length and Leilani’s second place earning $27,000. In 1988, he was again the first trainer to have horses earn more than six million dollars in prize money.
In 1975, with three Bart-trained horses entered, Think Big won it again, this time with Holiday Waggon only ¾ of a length behind and Leica Lover coming in last. With Think Big’s second win, he matched the Trainer total for number of Melbourne Cup wins (5).
In 1976, Bart took home 2nd place with Black and Gold. The pair returned a year later and this time took home the major prize. 1977 was Bart’s 6th win, putting him in 1st place for Melbourne Cup wins over Etienne de Mestre from the previous century. Bart’s two other 1977 entries, Ming Dynasty and Vacuum, finished 8th and 20th respectively.
1978 saw Bart enter 4 horses into the Melbourne Cup, finishing 10th with Panamint, 11th with Vive Velours, 13th with Belmura Lad and 20th for Stormy Rex.
In 1979, Bart won his 7th Melbourne Cup and his fourth for the decade when Hyperno came home a short ½ head in front of Salamander. Bart had one other entry in this race, Safe Harbour, who finished last in 21st.
Over the course of the 1980’s, Bart entered a total of 13 horses. 3 horses in 1980, another 3 in 1981 (finishing 6,7,8), 1 in 1982, 2 in 1983, 1 in each race of 1984, 86, 87 and 88. But the best they could manage would be two Third placings – Mr Jazz in 1983 and Rosedale in 1987.
The 1990’s were a much more successful decade right from the word ‘Go’. In 1990, Kingston Rule took home the big prize, marking the eighth time Bart would hold the Cup aloft. In 1991, he took out 1st and 2nd for the fifth and final time, with Let’s Elope and Shiva’s Revenge two and half lengths behind. 1996 and now it is Saintly bringing home the big dollars. And finally, Rogan Josh came home half a length ahead to round out the decade and century. The sweet-natured gelding, who had been purchased for a mere $7,500 by his school-teaching owner, gave Bart an 11th touch of the Melbourne Cup and $1.8 million dollars in prize money for his owner.
Our busiest day taking groups to Living Legends is the Wednesday after Melbourne Cup Day. In 2019, two of lucky Tour Hosts were there when Wendy Green showed up to visit Rogan Josh with the trophy. Ever the gracious winner, Wendy posed for many photos during the course of her visit.
In 2008, Viewed won a 12th Melbourne Cup for Bart on the 50th Anniversary of his first Melbourne Cup entry in 1958; with a second horse, Moatize finishing 6th. Bart’s son, Anthony, entered the gelding Red Lord into the same race, finishing 16th.
The following year, 2009, Viewed came in 7th and Bart’s other entries Allez Wonder and Roman Emperor finished 16th and 21st respectively. Son Anthony came home in 19th place with Zavite.
In 2010, So You Think gave Bart his final Melbourne Cup placing when he finished third. In the same race, Precedence came in 8th. Anthony’s Zavite finished last.
More unplaced entries followed in 2011 (Precedence 11th and Illo 19th). Precedence finished 9th in 2012 with Sanagas in 18th. Bart didn’t enter any horses into 2013’s Melbourne Cup but returned for the last time in 2014, this time with grand-son James as co-trainer and again with Precedence who had his best cup finish in 6th place. Incidentally, Precedence also finished 6th in The Bart Cummings Group 3 2520 metre race just 35 days after Bart passed. From 2008 to 2015 Precedence had 69 starts for 10 wins and 10 places – it seems that 2 miles was just too much of a stretch for him, his best efforts came when racing 2000-2500 metres.
In total, Bart sent 88 horses into the Melbourne Cup over 45 races for a total of 12 wins and 10 places. On 5 separate occasions his horses took first and second place in the same race (1965, 1966, 1974, 1975 and 1991). The 88 entries do not include the 1969 favourite, Big Philou, who was scratched from the 1969 Cup after he was illicitly drugged with a laxative and was too unwell to compete. Bart had good feeling who was behind the doping, even after a strapper admitted to it on his deathbed, but Bart never publicly announced it and took his belief to the grave.
While Bart Cummings didn’t exactly fall into training racehorses, his hand was partly forced. While working for his father in the early 1950’s, Barts parents took a six-week holiday to Europe which ended up being longer than 6 months! There was a time limit for stand-in trainers which was due to expire; if Bart didn’t apply for a licence himself the racing club stewards in South Australia would send Jim’s horses to other trainers. Cummings Jnr took out a trainers licence and never looked back.
There is no denying that Bart Cummings had a way with horses, he could see in seconds whether it had promise but he could also tell instantly whether the horse would be stayer, a sprinter or a mid-distance champion. He saw things in yearlings that other trainers either didn’t see or didn’t rate (examples will follow in later parts). A lot of his knowledge was learned from his father, but Bart took that information further by incorporating modern technologies and veterinary developments. Bart had amazing powers of observation, was more patient than most and time and again he could prepare a horse for a big race right to the very hour. Some of his charges were considered barely better than donkeys by others, but Bart could see past the defects and would manage that horse perfectly to win a specific race. Success didn’t happen overnight and Bart’s career proves it. In his 13th year as a trainer he won more than double the amount of Group 1 races than he had in the prior 12 years combined.
A man, who at age 16, was diagnosed with asthma; an illness which was triggered by horse hair, grass, hay and other allergens commonly found around stables. It really is little wonder they called him The Cups King.
Roy Higgins Statue
Located at the Hill Gate entrance to Flemington Racecourse, the Roy Higgins statue greets thousands of spectators as they arrive by train at Flemington.
Roy Higgins was born on June 5th 1938 in Koondrook, a Victorian town on the Murray River but mostly grew up 90 kilometres away in the New South Wales town of Deniliquin. He started his official riding career as a 15-year-old apprentice to Jim Watters, in Deniliquin in 1953; the same year that Bart Cummings registered as a trainer. In truth though, he’d been riding horses since age 5. His father owned a team of draught horses which he used for contracting jobs around the region. Young Roy would use a forty-four-gallon drum to boost himself onto the giant horses and would dismount by sliding down the tails!
Dim-witted from dehydration due to a severe effort to drop his weight to the required 8-stone, Roy finished his first race 15 lengths last. He would struggle with his weight his entire career but he very soon became one of the best, most sought-after riders in the Riverina region. This was due in parts to his intelligence and understanding of his mounts, his ability to communicate the faults and assets of horses to their trainers and also because he could read a race so well.
Roy eventually moved to Melbourne, on his first appearance at Flemington Racecourse he won two races. His mounts in those races were Gay Saxon and Triage. Supposedly, it was this early accomplishment which earned him the nickname “The Professor”.
In 1961, The Professor had his first ride on a Bart Cummings horse, Native Statesman whom he rode in a lead-up race to the Moonee Valley Stakes. Sadly, his mount got boxed in and together they barely managed to place. Bart decided he wanted a more experience jockey for the race he been preparing the horse for. That was his last ride for Bart until the trainer brought Light Fingers to his Flemington stables in 1964. Together, the trio won the Edward Manifold Stakes, the Wakeful Stakes and the VRC Oaks at Flemington in the Spring of 1964 followed by the AJC Oaks at Randwick in the Autumn of 1965. In the Spring of 1965, Light Fingers earned her jockey and trainer their first Melbourne Cup each and in doing so set a record for the heaviest load for a mare in the Melbourne Cup (8st4lb or 52.6 kilos). The following year, Light Fingers and Roy finished second by 2 lengths to Galilee, both horses trained by Bart Cummings. By all accounts, Light Fingers was probably Roy’s favourite mount, they got along very well, to the point where he loved her and kept two photographs of her in his living room. “She just wouldn’t give in. She would give you her heart and soul – that’s why she made jockeys look like champions… Horses like that come along once in a lifetime.”
His love for Light Fingers is written all over his face
In 1967, Roy rode another Bart Cummings trained horse to Melbourne Cup victory, his second (and final) and Bart’s third. On this occasion the horse was Red Handed, as Light Fingers was retired that year, but Higgins had Red Handed wearing Light Fingers white bridle. His win on Red Handed is a testament to his skill as a jockey, proof that he could lift a horse at the right moment to win, even if only by a neck.
In addition to Bart Cummings, Roy Higgins rode for many of the most successful trainers of the era including Tommy Smith. Both men would acknowledge and thank the brilliant jockey for his contributions to their careers and reputations. By the end of their time together, Cummings was quoted as saying “Roy was the best of my jockeys. He had perception and that’s just about the best thing a jockey can have. He could read a race, sense what was going to happen, sense that this or that horse was going to fall back and cause interference. He was always two lengths ahead of the problem. All jockeys can ride but very few of them can think”. High praise indeed.
Higgins won major races in every Australian state, 2300 wins in total with 108 Group 1 winners among them. Over his career he rode to victory in every major Australian race with the exception of the Stradbroke Handicap. His long and successful career spanned 30 years, eventually retiring to be “a fat little man” in October 1983 with his last race taking place at Flemington. He rode many fantastic horses to victory including, but not limited to, Gunsynd, Leilani, Storm Queen and Big Philou (Light Fingers’ brother).
Following his retirement from riding, he took to radio commentary, specifically he would stand in the parade ring and comment on the horses before each race. His commentaries were so accurate that many punters would wait for his conclusion before placing their bets based on Roy’s estimations… they were rarely disappointed.
His services to horse racing awarded him the Medal of the Order of the British Empire in 1974, induction to Sport Australia Hall of fame in December 1987 and Induction to Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.
A short bout in hospital from diabetes complications, Roy Higgins left our world peacefully on 8th March 2014 at age 75.
In Part 2 and onwards, we’ll take a deeper look at the horses who have the honour of being remembered at Flemington with their racing colours on display.