There is some Precedence if you go Bart far enough

CUPS King Bart Cummings may yet have a runner in the Melbourne Cup, co-trained by his grandson James, after Precedence won the Group 2 Drake International Cup (2500m) yesterday.

Cummings, who boasts 12 Cups, has always believed that the son of Zabeel was a potential Cup winner.

However, the now eightyear-old has finished eighth behind American in 2010, 11th behind Dunaden the following year and ninth, ahead of both Americain and Dunaden, last year.

Precedence has been weighted at 52kg this year, and will need a penalty of 1kg or 1.5kg to gain a run in the 3200m Cup this year.

Young James Cummings said Precedence ‘‘does not know how old he is’’. ‘‘He has a real zest for racing. We would be more than happy to take on the Melbourne Cup if we can get in,’’ he said.

While Cummings is 85, James is only 25, so there is an air of expectation about the Cup — Bart to celebrate his 88th runner and James, the son of Anthony, his first.

The bad news for Team Cummings, even if Precedence gets a Cup start, is that the last winner of the Moonee Valley Cup to go on to win the Melbourne Cup was Kingston Rule in 1990 — ironically trained by Bart.

Precedence, who won this race three years ago and who yesterday started at $7.50, had the race in his keeping throughout, swooping at the turn after sitting off the pace and running away to defeat Shoreham ($5) by 1½ lengths, with Gotta Take Care ($7) the same margin away third.

The beaten brigade can hardly expect to make the Melbourne Cup field. The race favourite ($4) Sneak A Peek, punctured to finish last of eighth. Trainer Peter Moody, who won the Geelong Cup during the week with Ibicenco, probably now will forget a Cup challenge for SneakAPeek.