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Luca Cumani |
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djebel
Premium Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Status: Offline Points: 53960 |
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Posted: 17 Sep 2015 at 8:40pm |
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Luca Cumani: will soon lose Postponed and other horses to Roger Varian PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)Cumani blow as Sheikh Obaid moves horsesBY LEE MOTTERSHEAD8:06PM 16 SEP 2015 POSTPONED is set for a shock switch of stables after Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum took the decision to move his entire string, including the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, from Luca Cumani to Roger Varian. The Racing Post understands Cumani will soon lose all 23 horses he has raced this year for the sheikh, plus a sizeable number of unraced juveniles, after the high-profile owner executed the latest in a series of controversial and unexpected decisions. Sheikh Obaid’s termination of working relations with Cumani could hardly be more surprising given the Newmarket trainer – who in 1998 saddled the owner’s High-Rise to win the Derby – has this year achieved great things with Postponed, winner of the King George in July. Prix Foy success As recently as Sunday the four-year-old underlined his credentials for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when winning the Prix Foy, as a result of which he can be backed at between 14-1 and 20-1 for Europe's €5 million championship prize. It was last night unclear whether Postponed will be allowed to race for Cumani in the Arc but he will at some point move along with Cumani's other Sheikh Obaid-owned horses across Newmarket to join Varian. Sheikh Mohammed's cousin has already changed Postponed's jockey this season, having replaced his own retained rider Adam Kirby with Andrea Atzeni prior to the King George. The sheikh, who previously had Atzeni under contract after dispensing with the services of Kieren Fallon, explained his move to separate Kirby from Postponed by stating the rider had enjoyed no luck on the horse. Long-term relationship Sheikh Obaid has had horses with Cumani every year from 1997 onwards and since 2002 has teamed up with no other British trainer. Before this season, Cumani's other notable successes with horses in the owner's yellow and black silks had come with the likes of high-class miler Afsare, Lancashire Oaks winner Emirates Queen and Oaks d'Italia winner Zomaradah. This year, 12 of Sheikh Obaid's inmates at Cumani's Bedford House Stables have won races, with Postponed supported by seven other horses who have achieved Racing Post Ratings in advance of 100. Connecticut won the Group 2 Bosphorus Cup in Turkey, Lady Of Dubai finished third in the Investec Oaks, Jordan Princess landed a Newmarket Listed race and Mount Logan won a valuable Glorious Goodwood handicap. Among the entries for the 2016 Derby are ten Cumani-trained juveniles owned by the sheikh, all unraced. |
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reductio ad absurdum
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djebel
Premium Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Status: Offline Points: 53960 |
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Luca Cumani: losing horses as Sheikh Obaid switches stables PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)Cumani bemused over reasons for Sheikh moveBY LEE MOTTERSHEAD & PETER SCARGILL11:08AM 17 SEP 2015 LUCA CUMANI has described the loss of Arc contender Postponed along with owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's other horses as a "devastating blow" and admitted he is completely in the dark over the decision. It was revealed by the Racing Post on Wednesday evening that Sheikh Obaid was ending his association with Cumani and transferring all of his 23 horses who have raced this year, plus his unraced juveniles, to trainer Roger Varian. To add to the surprise surrounding the move, it comes just a few days after this year's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Postponed enhanced his claims for the €5 million Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with a win in Sunday's Qatar Prix Foy. 'No reason given' In a statement posted on his website, Cumani said: "It is with great sadness that we have to announce that Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum has decided with immediate effect to remove all his horses from Bedford House and place them elsewhere. "No reasons have been given to us as to why this decision has been taken after an association that has lasted 20 years and has enjoyed plenty of success from High-Rise winning the Derby in 1998 through to Postponed landing the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes this year." He added: "Needless to say, it is a devastating blow for the whole team with the news coming so soon after Postponed's win in the Prix Foy at the weekend which confirmed he was well on target for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe." Jockey changes Sheikh Obaid, a cousin of Sheikh Mohammed, has already changed Postponed's jockey this season, having replaced his own retained rider Adam Kirby with Andrea Atzeni prior to the King George. The sheikh, who previously had Atzeni under contract after dispensing with the services of Kieren Fallon, explained his move to separate Kirby from Postponed by stating the rider had enjoyed no luck on the horse. Sheikh Obaid has had horses with Cumani every year from 1997 onwards and since 2002 has teamed up with no other British trainer. Fond memories Despite his disappointment, Cumani thanked Sheikh Obaid for his support over the years and added: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum for giving us the opportunity to train for him over the last two decades. |
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reductio ad absurdum
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Aurelius
Champion Joined: 08 Apr 2015 Status: Offline Points: 4474 |
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Probably asked to bonk Francesca and got refused.
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Fiddlesticks
Champion Joined: 31 Dec 2012 Status: Offline Points: 49975 |
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thread title is misleading, I thought this was going to be about something he had done wrong, in fact it's quite the opposite..
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Panspermia.
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acacia alba
Champion Joined: 30 Oct 2010 Location: Hunter Valley Status: Online Points: 41547 |
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No accounting for eccentric multi millionaires.
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animals before people.
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International
Champion Joined: 13 May 2012 Location: Dubai Status: Offline Points: 964 |
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Cumani a couple of years ago had a prominent Tier 2 owner, Earle Mack, take all his horses away in 1 go. No reason given. I was told Mack was a difficult character, but maybe there was a common factor, who knows - in line with AA on that one.
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djebel
Premium Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Status: Offline Points: 53960 |
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And the Aga Khan took all his horses away as well, But was that at the time he was protesting losing the Oaks on disqualification ? |
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reductio ad absurdum
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Geraldo
Champion Joined: 14 Jan 2014 Location: Kent, England Status: Offline Points: 5818 |
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Ridiculous. Postponed is gonna miss the Arc. Apparently because it arrives at it's new stable next week, just a few days before the Arc.
Yeah, Aga Khan took horses away from Britain, rather than Cumani.
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TBV - where it is the Silly Season all year round.
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International
Champion Joined: 13 May 2012 Location: Dubai Status: Offline Points: 964 |
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acacia alba
Champion Joined: 30 Oct 2010 Location: Hunter Valley Status: Online Points: 41547 |
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as I said
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animals before people.
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Geraldo
Champion Joined: 14 Jan 2014 Location: Kent, England Status: Offline Points: 5818 |
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I would've thought this would hasten Luca retiring, and his son (currently with Waller) taking over, but no inkling yet.
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TBV - where it is the Silly Season all year round.
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djebel
Premium Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Status: Offline Points: 53960 |
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Wonder what he could use in the UK that he would learn from Waller ? |
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reductio ad absurdum
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acacia alba
Champion Joined: 30 Oct 2010 Location: Hunter Valley Status: Online Points: 41547 |
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The mind boggles Why would Luca retire now ? He has a good stable, his wife rides for him, he can roll with the punches I feel sure. Maybe down the track Marc will take over, but i dont see it happening soon .
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animals before people.
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Geraldo
Champion Joined: 14 Jan 2014 Location: Kent, England Status: Offline Points: 5818 |
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Hah, I'm wrong, as usual. Cumani gonna carry on.
The old saying is that as one door closes then another one will open. Last Saturday we sadly said goodbye to our long time favourite Postponed and all the other horses previously housed at Bedford House and owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum. In many ways it is the end of an era but also the start of a new chapter. We have lost none of our enthusiasm or willingness to get our team as shipshape as possible for 2016 now the Sales are under way. Obviously it will be hard to replace thirty five or so horses, many of whom would have been three year olds next season, but we are pleased to say all our other existing owners have been extremely supportive, rallying around looking to increase the size of their strings, and some new enquiries too which has already led to one yearling being bought for a new owner at the Goffs Orby sale this week. |
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TBV - where it is the Silly Season all year round.
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acacia alba
Champion Joined: 30 Oct 2010 Location: Hunter Valley Status: Online Points: 41547 |
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Cant keep a good man down
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animals before people.
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Geraldo
Champion Joined: 14 Jan 2014 Location: Kent, England Status: Offline Points: 5818 |
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Matt Cumani: will begiin career as a trainer in 2016 Matt Cumani to begin training in AustraliaBY DAVID MILNES12:25PM 24 OCT 2015 THE Cumani training dynasty is soon to be extended more than 10,000 miles from Newmarket to Australia, where Luca's son Matt is expected to take out a licence in January. After three years as understudy to his father and spells with others including Todd Pletcher before that, 34 year-old Matt has spent the last year getting the feel of the Australian racing scene as a stable foreman for Chris Waller. While in Sydney, Matt helped prepare top sprinter Brazen Beau for his trip to Royal Ascot last summer. Cumani junior now feels the time is right to go it alone at the Ballarat Turf Club in Victoria where he will start off by renting 20 boxes. He said: "It's an up-and-coming training centre with state of the art facilities. I have 20 boxes to fill and hope to get some syndicates going. It will also act as a satellite yard for some of my father's horses that want to race out here." Business as usual Despite the recent loss of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's horses, Matt's father Luca is looks set to carry on for a good few years yet at Bedford House Stables in Newmarket and was very active in filling any vacant boxes at the recent sales. The long term plan would be for Matt to eventually take over the reins at a yard his father has trained from since 1976. Luca Cumani said: "It's very exciting that Matt is to take out his licence in Australia where there is great racing and great enthusiasm for racing. He learned the ropes in America and then back here with us and he has got a real feel for Australia where the locals are very passionate about the sport. "It's great that he's now going it alone and the yard will be a useful outpost for us with the possibility of horses going either way." |
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TBV - where it is the Silly Season all year round.
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Geraldo
Champion Joined: 14 Jan 2014 Location: Kent, England Status: Offline Points: 5818 |
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Complement
Cumani’s Australian DreamThursday, November 5, 2015 | Back to: Shared News Matt Cumani | Emma Berry By Emma Berry Should the Conservatives have won the 2005 General Election in the UK, Matt Cumani may have been lost to Westminster, where he had been working on the election campaign after a stint in the office of then-party leader Michael Howard. Politics’ loss is racing’s gain, however, and the call to return initially to Newmarket proved too strong as Cumani set about honing the skills which would lead to a life more in tune with his upbringing. From January, the 34-year-old thus becomes the third generation of his illustrious racing family to hold a training licence. His grandfather Sergio started the line in Italy, while father Luca has become one of the most respected handlers at British racing’s headquarters. Matt will take the Cumani migration a step further to Australia with the lease of 24 boxes in the old gold-mining town of Ballarat, which is home to Victoria’s premier country racecourse just an hour outside Melbourne. He has not simply learned his trade at the hand of his father–though undoubtedly much of the required knowledge for fine-tuning young thoroughbreds will have been gained almost by osmosis as Cumani and his younger sister Francesca, now an in-demand racing presenter in Australia, spent their formative years at their parents’ Bedford House Stables in the heart of Newmarket. After returning from London, Cumani headed to the nearby yard of Ed Dunlop for a stint as assistant trainer, before spending two years in America, first with Todd Pletcher and then Paddy Gallagher. His education was completed alongside Australia’s leading trainer, Chris Waller, and it was here that his mind was made up. “I came out in January and did the sales circuit with Guy Mulcaster and then went on to work for Chris Waller,” says Cumani. “I’d come to Australia the year before and did a bit of a tour around with Terry Henderson, looking at Ballarat, Warrnambool and lots of other places around Melbourne, but straight away I had my heart set on Ballarat.” He continues, “I was thinking about setting up then but I didn’t have the Australian experience. Chris is the best trainer in Australia and I have to be honest that I was surprised that someone with the number of horses he has could pay such individual attention to each horse but he puts in serious hours each day. He starts at 3 a.m. and doesn’t finish until 6 p.m. and if he gets tired he’ll go for a 10-minute jog and plough on.” “That regime gives him the chance to tailor a horse’s training plan and they each have incredibly varied routines,” continued Cumani. “If two horses are going for the same race on Saturday, one might do an extra lap of the pool and the other an extra 10 minutes on the walker. His attention to detail and the ability to focus on each horse are what really impressed me.” While Waller dominates the racing scene in New South Wales, it is Darren Weir who has a stranglehold on the Victorian championship and Cumani will have the chance to observe him at close quarters at his main stable in Ballarat. The training center’s profile received an extra boost this week with the popular win of Weir’s Prince Of Penzance (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) in Tuesday’s G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup. Cumani was swayed in his decision by Ballarat’s uphill training track, which is similar to Newmarket’s famous Warren Hill canter but has the extra benefit of laser timing. “The fact that Darren Weir is so dominant from Ballarat gives me confidence to be able to sell my product,” continued Cumani. “Obviously Archie [Alexander] is there too and he’s a great mate. There’s a really good feeling at Ballarat. Lachlan McKenzie [CEO] and his team have been there for four years and they have really done great work in making Ballarat the premier country track in Victoria. He added, “It’s a proper environment for the horses–an ideal spot. I know it gets cold there in the winter–it’s cold in Newmarket too–but I’d be more worried about the really hot days and heat exhaustion for the horses.” Currently in the throes of assembling both a four-legged and two-legged team for his new venture, Cumani will be aided to a certain extent by his knowledgeable family. Francesca, who is expecting a baby next Easter, now lives in New South Wales but will be very much involved in the stable’s promotion and syndicate management. “I had hoped she’d be my main work rider as she’s so good at that,” says Cumani. “Francesca will be a big part of it. She’s based in Sydney and is focusing on her work for Channel 7 but she’s very keen to help me with all aspects of my business. We know very well how each other thinks and we have a similar opinion on horses. It will be great to be able to bounce ideas off her.” Furthermore, Luca and Sara Cumani will be in Australia and New Zealand in January to help their son with the first round of yearling sales. “I want to get to the Magic Millions and Karaka but I also need to get my team in place,” said Cumani. “Even if I can’t spend too much time at the sales, my parents are coming down and Francesca will be at Magic Millions so we’ll have a great team on the ground.” The stable will not consist solely of yearling purchases. En route to Australia from the recent horses-in-training sale at Tattersalls in Newmarket is the 82-rated 3-year-old Covenant (GB) (Raven’s Pass), while Cumani has also poached a horse from Bedford House Stables. The young trainer confesses, “On my last visit home I managed to convince an owner of my father’s to send a horse called Critical Risk (Ire) (Pivotal {GB) to me in Australia–I checked it with dad first!” He adds, “But hopefully our two stables can compliment each other. It’s something I could see happening a bit more and hopefully, in the future, we might even send some horses to Newmarket from Australia. Obviously the prize-money isn’t great so it would have to be for owners who are interested in the challenge, or even a horse for Royal Ascot–that’s the dream.” “I’m committed to Australia,” Cumani continued. “Not wanting to sound like too much of a megalomaniac, I suppose long-term my idea would be to have a global operation and keep a stable in the UK and a stable down here, which obviously means having a very good team. In Australia you can have training partners–like Hayes and Dabernig–which we can’t in the UK. It’s possible–the two hemispheres are working closer and closer together all the time.” A good example of a racing operation which already takes full advantage of both hemispheres is one which also has close links with the Cumani family–OTI Racing. Luca came within a nostril of claiming the 2008 G1 Melbourne Cup for the Terry Henderson-led syndicate with Bauer (Ire) (Halling) and Francesca acts as European racing representative for the team which enjoyed Group 1 success on Victoria Derby day with the battling victory of French import Gailo Chop (Fr) (Deportivo) in the G1 Mackinnon S. OTI will also be supporting the new Ballarat venture. “I’ve had plenty of help on the business side from Terry Henderson and his team which has been a major boost,” says Cumani, who is keen to encourage other owners to think more globally in their racing aspirations. “My main reason for coming here is that I honestly think the two stables can work well together. If I took over from my father in Newmarket it’s just more of the same. What do I have to sell other than, ‘let’s try again with another horse’?” “Coming to Australia enables me to say, ‘Have a horse with the Cumanis and at the end of its 3-year-old year you can either say sell–we do well at the horses-in-training sale–keep it for another year, or now we can add another dimension with potentially very good prize-money and improvement with a change of environment in Australia,” he said. Cumani also believes that the cost of traveling a horse to the other side of the world can be offset by the decent prize-money on offer in Australia, which has a dearth of middle-distance campaigners. “People have this perception that it’s only worth sending down 100-plus rated horses but almost any horse is worth sending if you can afford to travel,” he avers. “Yes, it costs around £50,000 at Spring Carnival time because of all the quarantine costs, etc., but at other times of the year it’s more like £14,000. It could be a price worth paying, particularly if you can sell a share in the horse to an Australian owner.” Cumani’s first official duty in Australia will be as an ambassador for the Ballarat Cup Nov. 21 alongside his sister, at what is soon to become his permanent base. After that it will be full steam ahead to finalize plans for the ambitious venture which is starting at a sensibly modest level. Hearing tales this week of Darren Weir’s rise from a two-horse trainer in the bush to one of the country’s leading lights will doubtless have stirred the budding trainer in his quest. Cumani’s genial manner perhaps belies his determination to succeed but there’s undeniable intent in his voice as he says simply, “I can’t wait to get going.”
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TBV - where it is the Silly Season all year round.
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djebel
Premium Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Status: Offline Points: 53960 |
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Not 100% certain but I believe Roger Varian is 4 from 4 for his new owner.
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reductio ad absurdum
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djebel
Premium Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Status: Offline Points: 53960 |
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reductio ad absurdum
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djebel
Premium Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Status: Offline Points: 53960 |
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If you are purely a racing fan I can not recommend enough you spending 35 minutes watching the video that comes with the above link. |
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reductio ad absurdum
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