Luca Cumani
Luca M. Cumani (born 7 April 1949 in Milan, Italy) is an Italian thoroughbred horse trainer. He has trained at Bedford House Stables in Newmarket, England since 1976. He has trained a multitude of high-profile horses, including seven Classic race winners, two Epsom Derby winners in Kahyasi (1988) and High-Rise (1998), as well as a Breeders' Cup Mile winner in Barathea (1994).
As the son of champion amateur jockey Elena and champion trainer Sergio Cumani, horseracing has always been in his blood. He followed in their footsteps, emulating first his mother and then his father. Realizing that Newmarket is the center of the racing world, Luca moved to England in his early twenties to work for ten-time champion trainer Henry Cecil.
It was not long before he started up his own training establishment at Bedford House. Within ten years he had 12 Group 1 winners in five different countries and the tally has now risen to 55 up until the present day. Not content with claiming the majority of the big domestic races, he has ventured far and wide with globetrotting champions such as Falbrav and Alkaased to win Group 1 races in Hong Kong and Japan, respectively.
Cumani has also earned a reputation as a mentor to jockeys and assistant trainers. Frankie Dettori, Jimmy Fortune, Jason Weaver, Royston Ffrench and Nicky Mackay are all previous Champion Apprentices who learnt their trade under his tutelage. Leading rider Kieren Fallon is currently employed by Cumani, as is rider Kirsty Milczarek. Christophe Clement, James Toller, Jonathan Portman, Chris Wall, John Berry, David Simcock and Marco Botti are the best known current trainers that spent a portion of their formative years as assistant trainer to Luca.
Cumani is the father of Francesca Cumani who has had some success as an amateur jockey and now works for CNN and, during the Melbourne Cup in November, for Channel 7.
Major wins
- Champion Stakes - (1) - Legal Case (1989)
- Cheveley Park Stakes - (1) - Embla (1985)
- Derby - (2) - Kahyasi (1988), High-Rise (1998)
- Eclipse Stakes - (1) - Falbrav (2003)
- Fillies' Mile - (3) - Shamshir (1990), Glorosia (1997), Gossamer (2001)
- International Stakes - (3) - Commanche Run (1985), One So Wonderful (1998), Falbrav (2003)
- Lockinge Stakes - (1) - Then Again (1987)
- Nassau Stakes - (1) - Free Guest (1985)
- Queen Anne Stakes - (3) - Then Again (1987), Markofdistinction (1990), Barathea (1994)
- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - (3) - Markofdistinction (1990), Falbrav (2003), Starcraft (2005)
- St. James's Palace Stakes - (2) - Bairn (1985), Half a Year (1987)
- St. Leger - (1) - Commanche Run (1984)
- Sun Chariot Stakes - (6) - Free Guest (1984, 1985), Infamy (1987), Red Slippers (1992), One So Wonderful (1997), Kissogram (1998)
- Sussex Stakes - (1) - Second Set (1991)
- Yorkshire Oaks - (2) - Only Royale (1993, 1994)
- Canadian International Stakes - (1) - Infamy (1988)
- E. P. Taylor Stakes - (2) - Sudden Love (1988), Zomaradah (1998)
- Dubai Duty Free - (1) - Presvis (2011)
- Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud - (1) - Alkaased (2005)
- Prix d'Ispahan - (1) - Falbrav (2003)
- Prix du Moulin de Longchamp - (1) - Starcraft (2005)
- Prix Royal-Oak - (1) - Old Country (1983)
- Hong Kong Cup - (1) - Falbrav (2003)
- Queen Elizabeth II Cup - (1) - Presvis (2009)
- Irish 1,000 Guineas - (2) - Ensconse (1989), Gossamer (2002)
- Irish 2,000 Guineas - (1) - Barathea (1993)
- Irish Champion Stakes - (1) - Commanche Run (1985)
- Irish Derby - (1) - Kahyasi (1988)
- Derby Italiano - (1) - Old Country (1982)
- Gran Premio d'Italia - (3) - Masad (1992), Jaunty Jack (1997), Clapham Common (1998)
- Gran Premio di Milano - (1) - Endless Hall (2000)
- Oaks d'Italia - (2) - Zomaradah (1998), Contredanse (2010)
- Premio Lydia Tesio - (2) - Papering (1997), Zomaradah (1999)
- Premio Roma - (2) - Old Country (1985), Legal Case (1990)
- Japan Cup - (1) - Alkaased (2005)
- Singapore Airlines International Cup - (1) - Endless Hall (2001)
- Arlington Million - (1) - Tolomeo (1983)
- Breeders' Cup Mile - (1) - Barathea (1994)
External links
- Website
- Biography at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association website.