Anthony Cummings aims high with Sky Boy

Friday 9 November 2018, 2:30pm

Sky Boy represents a link to the past for Anthony Cummings but the trainer is hoping the horse can also be a foundation for the stable's future.

The four-year-old was owned by the late Dato Tan Chin Nam who won four Melbourne Cups with Cummings' father Bart and was a long-time supporter of the entire Cummings family.

The Malaysian businessman died last month and fittingly, Sky Boy was his final Australian winner.

The gelding is by Pendragon who stands at Dato Tan's Think Big Stud named for his dual Melbourne Cup winner.

"He was the last winner Chin Nam had while he was still alive and with a bit of luck he'll keep on in the same vein," Cummings said.

Sky Boy will chase a hat-trick of wins in the Australian Turf Club Handicap (2000m) before being freshened for a tilt at the Villiers Stakes during the summer.

Cummings, who now works in partnership with his son Edward, hopes the horse represents the start of a new era following a quieter period spent recalibrating their operation.

"Things are getting better and we've got some nice horses there," Cummings said.

"We had to clear the decks a bit, clear a few of the horses out that were around and weren't quite what we would have hoped, and right now we're doing OK."

Cummings will also saddle up three-year-old Baller who comes to town following a dominant debut win at Kembla Grange.

He was sent out a $61 chance that day but Cummings wasn't surprised by the performance.

"It wasn't unexpected. I actually had an interview that race morning and I said to them I had three promising horses going to the races and any one of them, if not all of them, were capable of winning," Cummings said.

"I think it's relevant when they carry weight and can run 1:10 and change at their first race start. Not many slow horses can do that."

Apprentice Robbie Dolan, who is indentured to Mark Newnham, has his first ride for the Cummings stable on Baller.

Dolan has impressed Cummings from afar and with many of Sydney's top jockeys riding in Melbourne, Cummings felt it was a good time to give the young rider an opportunity.

I've watched him ride a few and I've thought he's done a pretty good job," he said.

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »