How Saintly, the 'horse from heaven', won the Melbourne Cup 30 years ago
Thirty years ago this week, the brilliant galloper Saintly won the Melbourne Cup to give Bart Cummings his 10th victory in the race that stops the nation.
In 1996, the legendary Australian trainer Bart Cummings secured his 10th Melbourne Cup victory with his horse Saintly. The chestnut gelding, born at Bart's personal property, Princes Farm, had already won a record nine Cups under Cummings. Cummings, known for his no-nonsense attitude towards racehorse training, believed in a meticulous 10,000-meter preparation plan for his contenders.
His philosophy centered around relentless work, discipline, and commonsense, stating, "There's no magic, there's relentless work, discipline, adherence to your methods and plans, taking a genuine interest in the horse's welfare and above all else, plain commonsense. Do all this, and you make your own luck."
Five weeks prior to the Melbourne Cup, Cummings decided to take Saintly to Melbourne for a Cox Plate race, aiming to solidify his leg strength. Despite starting sixth in the field, Saintly surged forward and gradually closed the gap on the leaders. During the final stretch, jockey Darren Beadman skillfully balanced Saintly, and the horse surged ahead to cross the finish line first, defeating close rivals Filante, Juggler, and All Our Mob. This triumph marked Cummings' tenth Melbourne Cup win, solidifying his place in racing history.
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