Francesca Cumani at
Michelle Greene from Racing NSW sat down with The Championships ambassador, Francesca Cumani to discuss her passion for fashion … and horse racing.
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s Ambassador of The Championships, what were you most looking forward to on the day?
I'm looking forward to waking up on a beautiful Sydney autumn morning; with the sun rising up over the sea and knowing we are going to be treated to a fantastic day of racing. The pre-race buzz in the Royal Ascot style mounting yard is electric and I can't wait to be right in the middle of it. As you move between your life in Sydney and England, how do you perceive the future of The Championships in the international racing calendar? The best thing The Championships has going for it is a huge desire to make it succeed and to make its presence felt on the world stage. With so much competition for a place on the international racing calendar, recognition is not an easy thing to achieve but like they say, “where there's a will there's a way”. How does your life in Australia differ for your life in England? Well fundamentally it’s very similar in that it revolves around big racing carnivals, but the day to day is different. Between October and April, I live just outside Scone in NSW and I adore the wide open spaces and helping my husband with the farm and his polo ponies when I’m not working. Then from May to September, I’m based in England and I enjoy spending time with old school friends and family and having Europe on my doorstep, whether it’s for work or for pleasure is a bonus. With the substantial increase in prizemoney, what do you believe will be the biggest attraction to people from overseas? Large sums of prizemoney are always a great incentive to attract overseas participants, but from a horseman's perspective, i.e. trainers, I don't think it’s the main attraction. Instead, I think it’s the mainstream appeal of racing in this country that is so inviting. While in many countries racing is a fringe sport, here is it given the exposure and following it deserves (although we are always trying to get more?) Following the success of last year’s meet, what do you think will make the 2015 The Championships different from other racing carnivals? I think The Championships of 2014 was a resounding success but like with any event, new or old, they can always be improved upon. This year the dates provided a great opportunity to make the week into a great festival. For the international contingent and the out-of-towners, it’s also a great opportunity to enjoy everything Sydney has to offer, from the beaches to the great restaurants to the fashion and the weather, which I promise will be better than last year! As the daughter of a legendary racing trainer, Luca Cumani, do you believe that running a horse in The Championships is on his radar? Definitely! He loves to travel horses and his record of 12 Group winners in 12 different countries speaks for itself. He won’t travel a horse unless he thinks it has a really good chance of winning so when he has the right horse watch out!
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WINTER #21
As a frequent flyer and host of CNN’s Winning Post, did you receive a lot of interest in The Championships during your overseas trips? Very much so, particularly from trainers in places like Japan and Hong Kong. For the European trainers it’s a little trickier because of the time of year and large distances involved, but overseas interest will only continue to grow. You seem to also relish being a commentator with Channel 7, what is the best part of it? I adore it. Firstly I work with a really great team, not only the ones you see on camera but also everyone behind the scenes. Secondly, it allows me to get right amongst the action on raceday and I think Channel 7 is miles ahead of any other live racing broadcast because it provides a unique insight to the viewer that you don't get anywhere else. The fashion and glamour stakes are going to be equally as high; did you have any pointers for the ladies heading to The Championships? Keep it classy. I'm all for different trends and I don't think we should be dictated to in what we wear, but you can't beat elegance. What is your advice for millinery wear on the day? I think there is a huge variety of really great millinery in Australia, so ladies should have a bit of fun with it. My main rule is that long hair should always be put up or kept off the face to best show off the millinery. Having ridden trackwork for many years and being an amateur jockey, do you believe that the track is still heavily male dominated? I think racing is a sport that traditionally has appealed to men more than women, but that is definitely changing, especially here in Australia. It’s actually one of the very few sports where men and women can compete side-by-side as trainers and as jockeys, but unfortunately they still have to overcome some prejudice to get to the top. There is no better inspiration than the Queen of Australian racing, Gai Waterhouse. What do you believe will aid in the advancement of women in the Australian racing industry? I think that traditionally women have been pigeonholed when it comes to racing. It’s presumed that as long as they have a pretty frock to wear and a glass of bubbles in their hand, they will have a great time. Most of the women I know would much rather get stuck in to the action. I think we should be encouraging everyone, men and women, to delve deeper into the sport, get to know the participants and try and have an interest in the races being run, rather than the horses being the background entertainment.
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