Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with sadness today that I rise in this chamber to talk about the loss of Bart Cummings. As I rise, the state funeral for Bart Cummings is taking place in Sydney. Bart Cummings, in fact, died in the Lindsay electorate, last Sunday, at his farm, Princes Farm, in the historic Castlereagh.

Many in the local area had known Bart to be sick for awhile and the fact that he had spent time at either Castlereagh, at Princes Farm, or Nepean Hospital. He died peacefully, with his family around him.

Bart was such a legend, because he transcended the industry. He was truly an Australian champion and a champion for all Australians.

Many people are in touch with the racing industry on only one day a year—that first Tuesday in November, the Melbourne Cup. The legend of Bart Cummings is 12 Cup winners from 11 horses. In 1965 a horse called Light Fingers, ridden by Roy Higgins, got Bart his first taste of Melbourne Cup victory. But it was not just the first time he was near the winner's podium.

A decade earlier his father won the Cup on his champion horse Comic Court. The one win that people tend to remember Bart for was the one in 1996, with Saintly. Saintly had a very long stride and, amazingly, won both the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup that year.

And, in a nice way, it was fitting that as Bart passed peacefully one of his mares, Holy One, a close relative of Saintly, gave birth to a healthy foal in the paddocks there at Princes Farm.

Bart Cummings will be a direct influence on the thoroughbred industry for many years to come. Today my thoughts go to the entire thoroughbred industry, to his family, his wife, his children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren.

To Anthony and the Cummings family: we would like to think that in this Melbourne Cup we may have that last chance for Bart to make that baker's dozen and win 13 Melbourne Cups.