Cover image courtesy of Inglis
It was revealed on Thursday by 7news.com.au that Anthony Cummings has been given an eviction notice by the Australian Turf Club from Leilani Stables. Additionally, he has had his training licence revoked by Racing NSW and this is going through an appeals process which is understood to be concluded on Friday by the Racing Appeals Tribunal. These are two separate issues, but are related to each other, as only a licenced trainer can hold a lease on ATC owned stables.
Bankruptcy and the rules of racing
Australian Racing has a couple of rules around bankruptcy, but they don’t necessarily apply to Anthony Cummings, as it is his business which is in liquidation, not himself as a person, which is likely why the process has been so drawn out with the initial show-cause notice given back in October 2024.
Rule 36A 2c states “a person is not permitted to hold an ownership or lease interest in a horse if the person is an undischarged bankrupt or is taking advantage of the laws in force for the time being relating to bankruptcy.”
“A person is not permitted to hold an ownership or lease interest in a horse if the person is an undischarged bankrupt or is taking advantage of the laws in force for the time being relating to bankruptcy.” - Rule 36A 2c
The Racing NSW trainer’s licence application Terms and Conditions 1b states “That I shall notify Racing NSW within 14 days if I am charged with a criminal offence, convicted of a criminal offence or am made bankrupt or I become the subject of a court judgement requiring payment to a racing industry participant or provider, and acknowledge that if I fail to comply with this condition or the other terms and conditions of my licence I may be penalised and/or stood down from my licensed duties and privileges (LR51 (2))”
A search of the ASIC database for ‘Rosscarbery Holdings Pty Ltd’ found a liquidation notice dated August 2024.
“Notice is given that at a general meeting of the members of the Company held on 27 August 2024, it was resolved that the Company be wound up and that Cameron Hamish Gray be appointed liquidator(s),” reported ASIC.
The Racing NSW show-cause process
In October 2024, Racing NSW issued a show-cause notice to Anthony Cummings with regards to his business, Rosscarbery Holdings, being liquidated and the process around his licence has been ongoing since then. When Racing NSW revoked his trainer’s licence last Friday, this triggered a clause in his lease from the Australian Turf Club for Leilani Lodge – as a lease can only be held by a licenced trainer – and Cummings now awaits the outcome of his appeal to the Racing Appeals Tribunal.
“As it stands, Anthony has issued an appeal notification to the finding and sought a stay of proceedings which will likely be decided over the weekend or on Monday. In the meantime, both of us have asked the ATC to give permission for me to take over the lease at Leilani so the horse’s preparations aren’t interrupted by this,” said Edward Cummings.
Anthony and Edward Cummings
“It’s a little bit chicken and egg because only a licenced trainer can hold a lease, and I’m a licenced provisional trainer, not metro. I need Racing NSW to upgrade my licence to metro so I can take over the lease on Leilani Lodge, and we need the ATC to agree to this as well.
“What I’ve been able to achieve on my own over the last few years is worthy of the upgrade, and the lease at Leilani. I’m an excellent candidate to take over the stables given our results on the track. We currently have a full barn with a full suite of staff and highly skilled riders, and owners who are supportive of our process.”
Leilani Lodge and the Cummings family
The famous stables on High St in Randwick have been occupied by a member of the Cummings family for over 40 years. Bart Cummings trained there until his death in 2015 when his grandson James took over. When James was given the opportunity to become head trainer at Godolphin in 2017, the stable lease was transferred to James’ brother Edward and father Anthony.
Anthony and Edward trained in partnership from Leilani Lodge until Edward formed Myrtle House at Hawkesbury racecourse in 2019 where he trained on his own until August 2024.
Leilani Lodge | Image courtesy of Cummings Racing
“I went back (to Leilani) with the intent of going into partnership with Dad, but it was put on hold due to the show-cause notice. Racing NSW wanted to wait until the process around that was finished before looking at a partnership, so I still hold a trainer’s licence on my own. My owners agreed to move their horses to Anthony’s trainer’s licence and into Leilani Lodge last year, and I took over the management under Myrtle House then.”
Basically when Rosscarbery Holdings went into liquidation, everything transferred into Edward Cummings’ company Myrtle House while the trainer’s licence and subsequently the licence clause over the lease of Leilani Lodge stayed in Anthony’s name.
“We’ve overseen the Group 1 win of El Castello, we have new horses, new owners, new investment, and have continued to buy and sell bloodstock that we believe in. We’ve built up a team of staff. It’s a new system that’s operating at a good level, but we need the opportunity to keep going.”
El Castello | Image courtesy of Sportspix
El Castello (Castelvecchio) won four in succession this spring including the G1 Spring Champion Stakes. “He didn’t come back as well as we hoped and then he needed some minor bone fragments removed from his fetlocks, so he’s having a longer break and we’ll aim him at the Golden Eagle.”
Edward Cummings at Hawkesbury
Myrtle House was named after 1910 Alice Springs Cup winner Myrtle, trained by James Cummings who gifted the horse to his nephew Jim Cummings, father of Bart Cummings. Jim moved to Adelaide and the rest is history with Bart strapping Comic Court (Powerscourt) the winner of the 1950 Melbourne Cup and going on to win 12 Cups of his own.
“I’m proud of going to Hawkesbury with no prospects and turning our operation into a reliable stable with good horses and consistent results. That had been the mission statement to our owners, they could trust us to do our best every time. If I look at what James and my dad have been able to do – look at James since he left Leilani lodge and the lessons he learnt under Bart’s tutelage – I genuinely believe that given the same opportunity I could be equally as successful.”
“I’m proud of going to Hawkesbury with no prospects and turning our operation into a reliable stable with good horses and consistent results. That had been the mission statement to our owners, they could trust us to do our best every time.” - Edward Cummings
When challenged on the statement that he did it with no prospects, Cummings clarified what he meant.
“There’s no doubt I’ve been the beneficiary of my name, but what I embarked on at Hawkesbury was a tough independent way to do it. I walked away from the original partnership (with Anthony) to take a huge risk so I could prove I could do it alone, and I feel like I’ve succeeded. Hopefully in the eyes of the people who make the decisions this is a big boost in my favour, and that with more opportunity we can be more successful.”
While at Hawkesbury, Edward Cummings trained triple Group 1 winner Duais (Shamus Award). “She won the Queensland Oaks, Australian Cup and Tancred Stakes, a triple Group 1 winner in three states in not easy to do. She went off the boil in the spring of 2022 and had bone chips.
“There was some risk about bringing her back when she could have gone to stud, but we got her back to form and ran fourth in the Cox Plate (to Romantic Warrior) and several Group 1 placings. Setting her for the Doomben Cup first up was difficult and she nearly won it (fourth, 1.5l from winner). She was an exceptional horse that we did a great job with.”
The winner of over $4 million, Duais was served by Pierata in 2024 and is now owned by Yulong.
Duais returns to scale after winning the G1 Tancred Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image is Everything
“Strait Acer was fourth in the Golden Eagle and third in the Rupert Clarke and won over $1.5 million in prizemoney. Arts won the Adrian Knox and went into the ATC Oaks as equal favourite in her first preparation. It’s never been done before, so it was always going to be tough for her.”
Strait Acer (Headwater) has won five races and is currently in work under Anthony Cummings’ licence and was third last start. Arts (Xtravagant {NZ}) won the G3 Adrian Knox Stakes at her third start and ran fifth in the G1 Australian Oaks at her fourth start.
Strait Acer | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“Every horse that I’ve moved to Leilani Lodge has improved at least five lengths. It’s easier to train from there than at Hawkesbury. Going to Hawkesbury, there would be no harder way to find out how to train horses and train them well. Having the opportunity to train at Leilani Lodge gives you more facilities, more tracks, a treadmill, a pool, double brick stables, and it’s easier to get good staff. Given the opportunity, the horses would thrive and so would I.”
Maintaining competition among trainers
Cummings makes the further case that the boxes at Leilani Lodge would likely go to an already established Randwick trainer if he doesn’t take over the lease. “The alternative is to give 60 boxes to another monolithic stable – what would you rather, a Cummings to stay at Leilani lodge and do the best they can with a reasonably good track record or would you rather see those boxes go to a stable that already has 500. Are the ATC pro-competition and want to see a different guy taking on those bigger stables and hopefully succeeding at it?”
While it seems incongruous to call someone with a Cummings surname, the little guy, there is a point to be made in that Leilani Lodge currently has 59 boxes which is a lot less than many other dual state trainers.
“To be fair to Chris Waller, he’s recommended me for them. Hugh Bowman, Gerry Harvey, Henry Field have all recommended me. This has been on the horizon for a while. It feels like the ATC has had a head start, and I hope they’ve put thought into how meaningful it would be to allow a Cummings to train from here.”
With the leaseholder being required to hold a training licence, the two processes are entangled, but everyone should have more clarity when the Racing Appeals Tribunal make their decision around Anthony’s future in the coming days.