EDWARD CUMMINGS MAKES HIS MARK

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, June 8, 2021

There was a dignity and poise about the way trainer Edward Cummings conducted himself following the running on the Queensland Oaks where he had just landed his first Group 1 winner with the come from behind win of Duais.

Some would say those attributes are very much in-bred given Cummings’ pedigree and that he could draw on a lifetime of experience of knowledge of the industry to be able to handle the situation with aplomb … but that didn’t make it any less impressive.

And while much has been made … and justifiably so … of the fact that, with this success, Cummings is following on and expanding a great line of family tradition with his great-grandfather, grandfather, father and brother all being Group 1 winners, perhaps the more telling aspect of the result, which should not be underplayed, was Edward Cummings announcing his arrival in the big time in his own right.

It was a victory for Edward Cummings by Edward Cummings.

Cummings had his first winner, Gin Runner, in his own right in July 2019, so has been almost a two-year climb to claim success at the highest level. There were no ‘gimme’s’ here, just lots a hard work, dedication and perseverance which has now brought Cumming’s a reward to be savoured.

Cummings will saddle two runners in Group 1 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Unlike last Saturday, where Duais was the $2.80 favourite, Cummings will not have that pressure with Dark Rebel and Three Wise Men.

Dark Rebel only raced for the first time on May 12 where he won well on a heavy 8 track at Warwick Farm. The colt then stepped straight up into the Group 2 Sires Produce at Eagle Farm where he finished down the track, soundly beaten by 11,65 lengths in a race won by Tiger Of Malay who was chased home hard by Converge.

Both Tiger Of Malay and Converge are in the field again on Saturday.

Three Wise men, for his part, is still a Maiden with a second and a third place to his credit from only three starts.

Both of the Cummings runners in the JJ Atkins clearly have plenty of ground to make up on those with better exposed form (there are five last start winners in the line-up) if they are to be real contenders.

But, it should be remembered that Cummings raised plenty of eyebrows with his decision to send Duais into the 2200m Oaks with a seven week gap in-between runs … something commentators were keen to point out his grandfather would probably never have done.

He knew exactly what he was doing there … and while a JJ Atkins win will be a more difficult rabbit to pull out of the hat and, on face value, an unlikely result for the stable … whatever Cummings targets in big races from here on in will be worth a second glance.

He has already shown what he can do!

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