Bart Cummings

He had married Valmae in 1954 and spent 61 years with her.

The couple had one son, Anthony, and daughters, Anne-Marie, Margaret and Shanon from the marriage.

Bart Cummings died in his sleep on August 30, 2015 in Prince’s farm, Castlereagh, NSW, two days after he celebrated his 61st marriage anniversary with his wife.

Bart Cummings or J.B. Cummings was born on November 14 1927 in Adelaide in Southern Australia. His father was a reputed Irish horse trainer Jim Cummings who had trained the horse ‘Comic Court’ which had won the ‘Melbourne Cup’ in 1950. His mother was Annie Whelton Cummings.

He had an older brother named Pat and a sister named Teresa.

He did his initial schooling from the Senior School of the ‘Marist Brothers Sacred Heart College’ situated in the Adelaide suburb of Somerton Park, but left school when he was only 14.

Bart Cummings started as a strapper for his father’s ‘Melbourne Cup’ winner ‘Comic Court’ in 1950 and received his training in all the intricacies of horse racing from him.

He received his trainer’s license in 1953 and set up his own stable at Glenelg in Southern Australia.

He bought his first yearling in 1958 and won the ‘South Austarlian Derby’ in same year.

In the 1958 ‘Melbourne Cup’ race his horse ‘Asian Court’ came twelfth.

His next entry ‘Trellios’ finished fifth in the 1959 ‘Melbourne Cup’.

Bart Cummings wrote a book titled ‘Bart: My Life’ based on his 60 years of race horse training experience.