In front of a crowd of more than 11,000 people, Cummings produced stable favourite Cascadian to win the $3 million Group 1 event in its new home on the final Saturday in March.
The Australian Cup was a race Cummings’ legendary grandfather Bart won 13 times and he was cognisant of the significance of the win.
“I’m privileged as a young Cummings to be here on the big stage and have competitors in races like these,” he said.
“I had a very stern meeting with my brother Edward yesterday and talked to him about how I might be able to go about winning this and at the conclusion of it he said, ‘you go and win it this year and I’ll be back to win it next year’.”
Cummings saw Cascadian, a son of New Approach, further endear himself to Godolphin’s huge team when he broke his Flemington duck at his ninth attempt.
It was the third Group 1 win for the eight-year-old, to go with the Doncaster Mile and All Aged Stakes, and 11th win overall from 47 starts with his bankroll now sitting at $8,258,075.
“He deserves another big Group 1, he’s a wonderful horse and it’s a credit to his Highness Sheikh Mohammed to be winning a big weight-for-age race on a big day in Melbourne at Flemington,” Cummings said.
It was the first Australian Cup for Ben Melham, who was aboard Cascadian when second in the previous week’s $5 million All-Star Mile.
Melham’s partner Jamie Kah won the Doncaster on him but remains sidelined after her fall on Australian Guineas Day.
“I got a bit of advice off her how to ride him,” Melham said.
“It was special and more so for the horse as well, he’s been deserving of a Group 1 here at Flemington and what a race to do it in.”