Celebrated Australian horse trainer Bart Cummings dies

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The celebrated racehorse trainer Bart Cummings, who won the Melbourne Cup a record 12 times, has died aged 87.

His family said in a statement he had passed away peacefully early on Sunday morning at his home near Sydney.

It said his final moments were spent with his family and wife of 61 years, Valmae, with whom he celebrated their anniversary on Friday.

He prepared the winners of almost 7,000 races during his training career, which began in 1953.

He won the Golden Slipper four times, the Caulfield Cup seven times, the Cox Plate five times, the VRC Oakes nine times and the Newmarket Handicap eight times.

Cummings' grandson and training partner, James, called him a "master trainer and a larger than life figure".

Leading Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse said: "To all of us in the racing industry, Bart was a true icon. Everything that he envisaged was a success."

"Bart was always in a league of his own. His larger than life character and sharp wit will be sorely missed, said Peter V'landys, the chief executive of Racing New South Wales said.

He added that Cummings was "a legend in Australian sport, up there with the great Don Bradman".

Career highlights