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Top 10 Amazing Facts about Bart Cummings

Bart Cummings at Government House. Courtesy: Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General.

James Bartholomew Cummings also known by his initials J. B. Cummings was one of the most successful racehorse trainers in Australia. Bart was born on 14th November 1927 in Adelaide, South Australia.

He was the son of the most accomplished trainer, Jim Cummings. His father trained the great stayer Comic Court who won the 1950 Melbourne Cup.

Bart beat all odds of being allergic to horse and hay and became one of the greats during his time following the footsteps of his father. Bart was regarded as the Cups King which is referred to as the Melbourne Cup.

He won the race that stops a nation for a record twelve times. Bart has always been considered an Australian cultural icon, and an Australian National Living Treasure.

He is considered a racing icon of the 20th century and is also regarded equivalently to Etienne L. De Mestre of the 19th century. Let鈥檚 take you through the top 10 Amazing Facts about Bart Cummings:

1. Bart was a Son of an Accomplished Trainer

The interest of Bart Cummings in racehorse training did not develop anywhere. He was the son of an accomplished trainer.

Jim Cummings, the father of Bart Cummings was an accomplished trainer who trained the great stayer Comic Court. He successfully trained Comic to win the 1950 Melbourne Cup.

Bart once praised his father by stating: 鈥淢y dad had a lot of experience behind him and I picked up from him by watching, listening and keeping my mouth shut.鈥�

2. Bart was Allergic to Horses and Hay but he never gave up

Sirmione at Bart cummings stables at Randwick
Courtesy: Craigco aus.

Growing up seeing his father as an accomplished trainer, Bart Cummings also wanted to follow in his father鈥檚 footsteps. He was allergic to horses and hay but this did not put him off from following his dreams.

Bart started his career by working for his father as a strapper. It is during this period that Bart learnt a lot from his father which helped him become an accomplished trainer too.

3. Bart Received his Trainer Licence at the Age of 26, Won in Melbourne Cup in 1965

American (front), 2010 Melbourne Cup winner
Photo by: Flamelai.

Bart Cummings interest in horserace training began at a very tender age. He was given his trainer licence at the age of 26 in 1953 and set up stables at Glenelg, South Australia.

His career did not pick up that fast as he had to wait until 1958 for his first competitive win. The first Group 1 win came in the South Australian Derby in 1958.

Bart had 89 runners in the Melbourne Cup who began in the competition in 1958 with Asian Court finishing in the twelfth position. In 1959, Trellis finished fifth in the same Melbourne Cup.

In 1965, Bart Cummings had three runners in the Melbourne Cup who performed well. Light Fingers finished first, Ziema second and The Dip finished eighteenth in the Melbourne Cup.
This was the beginning of his significant wins in the Melbourne Cup.

4. Bart Won Major Trophies in 7 Competitions in his First Trainer鈥檚 Premiership

The 1965-1966 season was so amazing and fruitful for Bart Cummings and his team. This was his first Trainer鈥檚 Premiership season where he won major trophies.

His runners won the Melbourne Cup this year and also won in six other competitions. Bart got success in the Adelaide, Caulfield, Sandown, Sydney, Brisbane and Queen鈥檚 cups.

5. Bart鈥檚 Horse was unable to Compete in Melbourne Cup due to an Overdose of Laxative

American Quarter Horse (dun colour) with the brand XL on the hip in Texas. Photo by: Betty Wills.

In 1969, the team of Bart Cummings was to participate in the Melbourne Cup. One of the runners was supposed to compete with Cummings鈥� horse known as Big Philou.

Big Philou had already won in the Caulfield Cup and was ranked as the favourite for the Melbourne Cup competition. However, the horse did not manage to participate in this competition.

It was drugged illicitly with an overdose of laxative the morning before the Melbourne Cup. This made the Big Philou unable to participate in the competition.

6. Bart was First Trainer to Train Horses that Win $1 Million Prize Money

Bart Cummings had several achievements during his accomplished career as a horserace trainer. In 1974, Bart made a remarkable achievement in his career.

He became the first trainer in the British Commonwealth to train horses that won one million dollars in prize money. This was one of the many achievements Bart Cummings had.

7. Bart Spent Millions of Dollars in Purchasing Racehorses

The great racehorse, “Peter Pan”
Photo by: Sam Hood.

With the success Bart Cummings and his team were getting, he decided to expand his training facilities and bring in more horses. In the late 1980s, Bart forked out millions of dollars in purchasing several racehorses.

The spending by Bart Cummings was on behalf of a tax minimisation syndicate. However, this did not go well as he was hit hard by the tax recession.

Fortunately, Bart Cummings was helped by the Reg Inglis鈥� organisation. They helped him avoid going bankrupt and to continue with the racehorse training.

8. Bart Achieved the 12th Melbourne Cup Victory on the 50th Anniversary since his First Cup Runner

The horserace training career of Bart Cummings was so remarkable as he had several victories in the Melbourne Cup. The final Melbourne Cup competition in 2008 was a remarkable event for Bart Cummings.

His runner鈥檚 horse beat Bauer in a photo finish giving him the 12th Melbourne Cup victory. This victory came on the 50th anniversary of the day when he entered his first Cup runner in the Melbourne Cup competition.

9. Bart鈥檚 Record Achievements as a Horserace Trainer

During his era as a horserace trainer, Bart Cummings team won several awards and accolades. He achieved 246 Group 1 victories and got more than 776 stakes victories.

Bart got 12 Melbourne Cup victories, won the Caulfield Cup 7 times, Golden Slipper Stakes 4 times, Cox Plate 5 times, the VRC Oaks 9 times and Newmarket Handicap 8 times.
Bart Cummings also won the Australian Cup thirteen times.

10. He Passed Away 2 Days after Celebrating 61st Wedding Anniversary with Wife

Bart Cummings lived a healthy life full of success till his final day鈥檚 in 2015. He was married to his wife Valmae and had five children, one passed away.

On 30th August 2015, Bart Cummings passed away at Prince鈥檚 Farm in Castlereagh. The death of Bart Cummings happened two days after he celebrated his 61st wedding anniversary with his wife. He was 87 years old.

The Premier of New South Wales, Mike Baird offered to make the funeral of Bart Cummings a state funeral which his family accepted.

Bart Cummings will always be a role model to all young generations who want to take on a role like his and become successful people.