‘I’d love to be able to say I’m a Derby-winning trainer’
Kingofwallstreet heads Cumani’s challenge as expat aims to emulate exploits of his father
A Classic version of the VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) in every sense of the word lies in prospect at Flemington on Saturday, with two dynastic trainers looking to continue family traditions in more ways than one, while holding different views on the race’s future.
Matt Cumani, son of dual Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) winner Luca, saddles last–start winner Kingofwallstreet (Dundeel), plus Autumnheat (Too Darn Hot) and possibly second emergency Cecchetti (Fiorente) as he seeks a first Group 1.
And Anthony Cummings, whose legendary father Bart won five VRC Derbies, and grandfather Jim and son James one each, will send out likely favourite El Castello (Castelvecchio) in striving to win his second.
In a capacity 16-runner field of many chances, El Castello headed markets for the $2 million feature on Friday at around $4.20. He’s on a quick back-up from a fourth straight victory in last Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Randwick, when he became his young sire’s first top-level winner.
Kingofwallstreet was around $15 on Friday, despite looking ultra impressive in lifting off a soft tempo in a small field to take the Caulfield Classic (Gr 3, 2000m) at his third start two weeks ago.
Cumani and Cummings’ assaults involve other father-son links, with Castelvecchio a son – and Arrowfield barnmate – of Dundeel (High Chaparral), who has a particularly strong representation, also including Nick Ryan’s $7.50 chance Red Aces and Danny O’Brien’s $10 hope Politely Dun.
John O’Shea and Tom Charlton’s King Of Thunder (Tivaci) was at $6 but may yet start favourite, with he and El Castello book-ending the barriers having drawn one and the widest gate of the 16 respectively.
The classy Keeneland (Almanzor), from Team Busuttin-Young, was at $11 despite a third behind Kingofwallstreet last start, perhaps based on his imposing Super Impose Stakes (Listed, 1800m) victory the start before.
Adelaide raider Goldrush Guru (American Pharoah) was kept safe at $8.50 after taking the Hill Smith Stakes (Listed, 1800m) two weeks ago, while Ciaron Maher’s Geelong Classic (Listed, 2200m) winner Saint Emilion (Snitzel) was easy at $16.
The Derby – Australia’s oldest continuous major race, having pre-dated the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) by six years – is always a punting puzzle, as assessors guess who’ll be the last November three-year-old standing after a trip made even more taxing than most derbies, by the extra 100 metres demanded by Flemington’s contours.
And while much maligned in recent years, this year’s edition appears laden with quality.
For Cumani, a noted trainer of stayers, the Classic is as intriguing as it is tantalising.
“The distance a horse has succeeded over is an important thing for punters if they want to have a bit of confidence,” Cumani told ANZ Bloodstock News. “But in the end, I don’t think it matters that much. If you have a horse who’s classier than other horses, a horse who in a year’s time will be competitive in top class weight-for-age staying races, then I think that horse has an advantage, even if he’s only been over 1600 metres so far.
“But what’s so difficult is it’s hard to identify those horses, because they don’t have much form on their books yet. You’ve got to put faith into them, and assess how they’ve been racing over their distances: Have they shown tactical speed? Have they shown stamina? Have they shown stamina in fast run races?
“For example, even though we beat Keeneland last time, I can see why he’s half the price of Kingofwallstreet. His victory in the Super Impose was at the front of the field in a fast run race, which shows he’s got good stamina. He might get caught out by a slow tempo like in the Caulfield Classic, but if it’s a solid tempo, he’s proven to have the stamina even though he hasn’t been past 2000 metres. I think that’s how you try to work it out.”
Cummings agrees. He’s also in the enviable position of probably having that classiest horse in the field, though he was “confident but nervous” on Friday before seeing how Josh Parr might navigate the outside barrier.
“At this time of year, it’s absolutely a class race,” the Randwick-based trainer told ANZ. “We’ve seen sprinters and not true stayers that have come out of this race. It’s class on the day that gets you home. You go to the other derbies in the autumn, and it does become more about staying prowess.”
Cummings had a personal triumph, in a family rich with them, when he bred and trained Fiveandahalfstar (Hotel Grand) to win the Derby of 2012. Victory for El Castello – and a 25th Group 1 success – would be highly meaningful to the trainer, and not just because his colt is from a half-sister to Fiveandahalfstar.
“This race has always been a big deal in the family, from when I was a kid,” said Cummings, 68. “To win a second one would be pretty big for me.”
The 43-year-old Cumani yearns for Derby success, and not just to bring a first Group 1 since setting up in Ballarat in 2016, or to salve the heartache from another son of his favourite sire Dundeel in Hit The Shot running an unlucky length second in 2020’s edition – to relative roughie Johnny Get Angry (Tavistock).
Cumani can remember vividly two highlights of his father Luca’s training career, before he went into breeding at Newmarket’s Fittocks Stud: his Epsom Derby triumphs in 1988 with Kahyasi (Ile De Bourbon) and 1998 with High-Rise (High Estate).
“Yes, the word ‘Derby’ holds a very important place in my mind,” he said, “and while the Derbies here in Australia are perhaps less historically important than Epsom – by virtue of the fact there are more of them – it’s still, in my mind, very important.
“I’d love to be able to say I’m a Derby–winning trainer,” said Cumani, who was planning a phone call with his father before Saturday’s race to “get advice, maybe steady the nerves a little and get his opinion”.
Indeed, Cumani speaks almost protectively about the Flemington feature – in the face of its image battering in recent years as a form race, a test of stayer, or a too-early marathon which crocks its runners for later.
“I think it’s mad that the Derby is so maligned and people are sniffy about it,” he said.
“Yes, you’d like to see more competition; these horses are the only three-year-olds currently up at this trip, and that’s why it proves, ultimately, to be not a good form race.
“But we need to support these staying races, because they are so interesting, I think they’re great punting spectacles, and great for owners.
“People say stayers take too long to get going. But we’re only eight months after a Golden Slipper or a Blue Diamond.
“We need to be selling these races a bit better, show owners you can buy a stayer and have fun in what’s often their first spring as racehorses. After all, there aren’t too many two-year-olds racing in their first racing spring. Owners just need to be eight months more patient and they can have a lot of fun with these horses.”
Rejecting suggestions the Derby should be moved from spring to autumn – as Sydney’s was in 1979 – Cumani said more three-year-olds would be tried for spring distance races if “they continue to be supported prize–money-wise, and if we change the narrative around stayers”.
“All this self–flagellation we do about how stayers take too long, and everyone wants precocious two-year-olds,” he said. “That’s not my experience, certainly with my owners. They’re more than happy to wait and really, you don’t have to wait that long.”
On this, Cummings disagrees, proposing a shift to the Melbourne autumn carnival preceding Sydney’s.
“We’ve got all sorts of competing views – it’s Derby Day in Melbourne, the history et cetera, and it’s hard to ignore all that,” he said.
“But when my old man talked the AJC into shifting the Derby from spring to autumn, it improved the race. The staying three-year-olds will more likely turn up in numbers and depth of ability in April than they are in November.
“You’d have horses with exposed form at the trip, and because Melbourne’s carnival finishes earlier, the VRC Derby might even take away from the ATC Derby and become the premier one.
“I agree we should support these three-year-old staying races, but it doesn’t have to be in spring; it’s supposed to be a premier Group 1 race, and a majority of horsemen look to dodge it because it puts pressure on their horse.
“And we’re dealing with different pedigrees now than when it was first set at this time. The pedigrees aren’t the English staying types that used to come here.”
As for the here and now, Cumani is confident Kingofwallstreet will acquit himself well, after flying home off a fast pace for second in Flemington’s Derby Preview (1800m), and lifting off a dawdling one to win at Caulfield.
“He’s shown a fair bit of versatility,” he said. “He responds quickly to the rider, but he doesn’t increase speed particularly quickly, he needs ground to build up. We saw that at Caulfield when Michael Dee had to get going early; he looks like he comes off the bridle but really he’s just gradually quickening up.
“I’m not worried about the 2500 metres. He’s got a great mind on him, whether it’s in his gallops or his races. He’s very push button. He’s got cruise control. He’ll get to the speed you want and hold it for you. He won’t pull and he won’t slacken off. Then when you ask him for an increase he improves as quickly as he can.
“That gives me a bit of confidence. But ultimately, it’ll come down to class and who’s got the biggest engine, and that we just don’t know going into the race,” said Cumani, who also rates Autumnheat a place chance at odds.
One advantage Kingofwallstreet may have is his two-week gap since Caulfield, compared to one week for El Castello, Red Aces, King Of Thunder and Politely Dun.
“You’d have to think that a tough run last week and a long trip to Melbourne would take five per cent off El Castello,” Cumani said. “But if he’s 20 per cent better than this field, that won’t matter.”
Asked if his colt resembled those percentages, Cummings said: “I’ll say he’s better today than at this time last week,” adding the 500-metre rise in distance was “the least of our worries”.
So were his confidence levels higher than a week ago?
“They could be after they get around the first turn,” he said, “but I’m a bit nervous about that barrier.
“But at least he gives himself every chance to run any trip. He can stop and start in a race, can chase them down or he can be on-speed and closer when he has to. He’s pretty adaptable, and sensible.”