BART CUMMINGS - PURE GOLD

By Graham Potter | Saturday, October 24, 2009

It’s no use kicking yourself now. Of course you should have backed Bart Cummings in the Cox Plate. Never mind that three-year-olds are not normally the go in a race usually dominated by well-established heavyweights of the turf and why worry about the fact that the horse was only having his fifth start in a race. Afterall, this is Bart Cummings we are talking about.

For the moment the name of the horse is incidental to the occasion, but as the great man himself said of his fourth Cox Plate winner So You Think in a typically understated remark, “he looks like he’s got a good future.” The focus will come back to So You Think in the next couple of days when he will get all of the recognition he deserves for an outstanding performance, but, for today, it is Bart Cummings who takes the headlines.

From a punting perspective the two three-year-olds in the race provided an enigma. The appeared to be no middle ground here. You were either for them or against them.

History showed that it has almost been a shut-out against the youngsters. One winner, Sabaveel, from eighteen three-year-old starters in the last fourteen years is hardly a recommendation. It was easier to go with the flow than take a stand. On this occasion the easy option turned out to be a costly choice for many, although it should be noted that So You Think jumped as a well supported runner. The majority of that support probably came from those whose money took a simple route. They were betting on Bart Cummings’ history.

The way it came back suggests that nobody could have beaten So You Think on the day, but the race was also a tactical triumph. Cummings said post race he had instructed jockey Glen Boss to place So You Think wherever the horse was comfortable. Boss took the colt to the front where he was comfortable ... very comfortable.

So You Think was tracked in second placing by the other three-year-old in the race, the Gai Waterhouse trained Manhattan Rain. Both of these three-year-olds were carrying 49.5kg given them a healthy pull at the weights (between 8kg and 9.5kg) against their older rivals, albeit at set Weight For Age conditions.

Their collective push for the lead and the pace they set was a tactical gem. It ensured that the main fancies would be forced to carry their weight with plenty of ground to make up when a big finishing effort was required.

On the turn Boss was still only steering So You Think. Halfway up the straight he was looking around for the challengers. Then he looked again ... and again. He must have thought his eyes were deceiving him as he checked one last time to see if he had missed any dangers. There were none.

Approaching the line Boss stood up in the saddle, shaking his head at the ease of his victory until disbelief gave way to jubilation and he began to celebrate a famous victory.

Manhattan Rain stayed on for second. Zipping had a late show of defiance to claim third spot ... but it was a day that belonged to a champion trainer. Glen Boss was choked up. Bart Cummings was his normal cool self. As for the rest of us, we could only withdraw in awe of a great trainer and his historic success.

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