On 14 November, James Bartholomew Cummings will be 81, and today he proved that age and cunning can beat youth and inexperience every time, well, fairly often anyway. Even the greatest trainer in the world today couldn’t get his horse across the line first, but the astute English trainer came within a nose of succeeding. It may have been war in the straight, but even the hawkishly named Kiwi horse had to settle for third on the line. It was photos all round and that was before the decision was made who had won.
The result – Viewed, by a nose.
photo from AAP, Channel 7
Other grinners were the owner, Dato Tan Chin Nam (collecting his fourth Cup) and the emotional young jockey, Blake Shinn.
Bart Cummings is an Aussie hero and in 2007, Australia Post included him in their Australian Legend series of stamps.
With 100 000 people at the track at Flemington and $87 million wagered on the Melbourne Cup, I guess there were a few consoling glasses of bubbly and Irish Whiskey as well as a few Guinnesses consumed; and there will be a few sore heads in the morning.
Ah well! That’s the Melbourne Cup over for the media, and it’s on to New Hampshire, or wherever, for the next race! What price McCain with the bookies?
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