Melbourne Cup Trainers 

The trainers are the masterminds behind the scenes that will bring the Melbourne Cup to life when they assemble at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November for the 'Race that stops a nation'. Trainers bring their finest thoroughbreds from all corners of the world, in a bid to win the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup.

On this page you'll find profiles, forms and other key information for the most successful active Melbourne Cup trainers.

Bart Cummings

Having plenty of experience under your belt is vital in the horse training game and none are wiser than the legendary Bart Cummings. Bart Cummings is the most successful trainer ever to take on the Melbourne Cup and has collected 12 wins along the way. 2011 sees Cummings aim to win the coveted trophy for the 13th time with his star gelding Precedence.

 Some of Bart's career milestones include:

• Member of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
• An astonishing total of over 260 Group One victories.
• His Group 1 wins include 5 Cox Plates, 7 Caulfield Cups, 9 VRC Oaks, 8 Newmarket Handicaps and 4 Golden Slippers.
• Winning the Melbourne Cup in five different decades, the 60's, 70's, 90's and 2008. With a victory in 2011, Bart Cummings will have won in six decades.
• Bart Cummings has trained both the first and second place finishers in the Melbourne Cup a remarkable five times. This occurred in 1965, 1966, 1974, 1975, and 1991.

 

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Gai Waterhouse

Daughter of the late, great T.J Smith, Gai Waterhouse has become one of Australia’s premier thoroughbred trainers in her own right. Gai’s focus and determination have seen her capture over 90 group 1 winners throughout her career. This year Gai Waterhouse will attempt to win her maiden Melbourne Cup with her 2010 Caulfield Cup winner Descarado and 2010 Metropolitan winner Herculian Prince.

Gai Waterhouse’s milestones include:

• Inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2007
• Over 90 career Group 1 victories
• Honoured with the VRC and Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners Association Archer Award for outstanding achievement and contribution to the racing industry
• Winner of 3 Golden Slippers.

 

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Anthony Freedman

The recently appointed head of Freedman Racing, Anthony Freedman, the third eldest of the four Freedman brothers, is renowned for his ability to select and develop yearlings into top class thoroughbreds. Anthony hopes to emulate his Brother Lee’s Melbourne Cup success and win his first with the help of German horse Lucas Cranach.

The  Freedman brother’s milestones include:
 

• 5 Melbourne Cup victories including back to back wins in 2004 and 2005 with the great Makybe Diva. 2005 was Makybe Diva’s 3rd Melbourne Cup win in a row.
• In 1989 Tawriffic’s won the Melbourne Cup and stablemate Super impose ran 2nd.
• Over 120 Group 1 victories including 4 Caulfield Cups, 4 Golden Slippers and 2 Cox Plates.
  
  

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Luca Cumani

Italian born Luca Cumani has become a regular face at Flemington around Melbourne Cup time. Cumani has never won the Melbourne Cup but had two runners up – Purple Moon in 2007 and Bauer, who went agonisingly close in 2008, losing by a nose to the Bart Cummings trained Viewed.

Bauer will contest this year’s Melbourne Cup along with Drunken Sailor and 4th place getter in this year’s Caulfield Cup, Manighar.

Luca Cumani’s milestones include:

• 3 wins in Britain’s coveted Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and 1 win in the St. Leger.
• A win in the 2005 Japan Cup with Alkaased.
• Cumani trained Falbrav which in 2003 won Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes, France’s Prix d'Ispahan and the Hong Kong Cup.
  
  

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Danny O'Brien

Danny O’Brien has grown to become one of Australia’s most prominent trainers and why wouldn’t he be considering that he has worked under some of the best in the business including the legend himself, Bart Cummings. In 2011 Danny O’Brien hopes to take out his first Melbourne Cup with the help of his 4 year-old mare Shamrocker.

Some of Danny O’Brien’s Milestones include:

• Having won 10 Group 1 races including the Caulfield Cup, Emirates Stakes and Blue Diamond.
• O’Brien’s winning strike rate is 16% with 1 in 6 starters taking a victory on average.
• Trained multiple stakes winners in every capital city in Australia
  
  

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Saeed Bin Suroor

Saeed bin Suroor is synonymous with the world famous Godolphin stable. His rise to success was rapid and a year after taking out his trainer’s license in 1994, bin Suroor won the British Trainer’s Championship of 1995. Saeed bin Suroor has made it clear that he will not rest as a trainer until he has won a coveted Melbourne Cup trophy.

Saeed bin Suroor’s milestones:

• 4 British trainers’ championships in 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2004.
• 5 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and 5 St Leger victories to his name
• Trained ‘All the Good’ to victory in the 2008 Caulfield Cup, bin Suroor’s only Group 1 win in Australia.
• 2 Hong Kong Cups.