Cups King Bart Cummings lived up to his nickname when he claimed his seventh Caulfield Cup courtesy of an easy victory to Melbourne Cup hero Viewed yesterday.
Viewed became only the third horse to win the the Caulfield Cup (2400m) following a Melbourne Cup victory the previous year.
The last
to achieve the rare feat was Rising Fast who won his second successive Caulfield Cup in 1955 after landing the double in 1954.
Cummings, 81, praised Rawiller's ride on the 6-year-old who jumped from barrier 13 in the 18-horse field and settled back in 16th place before making ground along the inside.
The topweight with 57kg, Viewed was sent out at $13 and raced clear in the straight for a 2 length over stablemate Roman Emperor ($15) with Vigor ($15) a half length away third.
"It was a great ride. He followed the rail around and saved many lengths," Cummings said of Rawiller who rode Weekend Hussler into 12th place last year.
It was Cummings' seventh Caulfield Cup win, 18 years after his last success, with Let's Elope. He had won the 2400m Group One feature with Galilee (1966), Big Philou (1969), Leilani (1974) and Ming Dynasty in 1977 and 1980.
Asked what it took to be so successful in the A$2.5 million ($3.13 million) race, Cummings said: "Just a good horse, a few of them."
Godolphin's Kirklees was the best of the two internationals in the race finishing seventh with the Luca Cumani-trained Cima De Triomphe running 13th.
Predatory Pricer started favourite at $7 but was caught four wide and weakened to finish 12th.
New Zealand mare Daffodil ran on well to finish fourth with Fiumicino running a gallant fifth after hitting the front at the top of the straight.
Cummings has won 12 Melbourne Cups and scored three victories in Australasia's top weight-for-age contest, the Cox Plate.
In the Melbourne Cup on November 3, the master trainer does not expect a big penalty for Viewed who carried 53kg last year and has 57kg this year.AAP
