Godolphin refute reports of Cummings’ signing as Beadman fills in
THE talk of the town was that James Cummings was to be named as the new trainer for Godolphin, but those reports have been refuted and in the meantime Darren Beadman will take over the reins.
Beadman was the assistant trainer for John O’Shea and has been granted a his license to train for Godolphin in the interim. Racing NSW granted the former champion jockey his license on Friday.
“An application from Darren Beadman for a Metropolitan Trainers licence has been approved by Racing NSW and will commence from Sunday 7 May 2017,” Racing NSW said.
“Mr Beadman will take carriage of the Godolphin stable from that date.”
Cummings was backed in from $9 to $1.90 at CrownBet.com.au and was widely considered the top pick for the job, but Godolphin Australia boss Henry Plumptre said those reports are not accurate at this stage.
“I speak to James a lot but no, we haven’t talked to anybody about it,” Plumptre said.
“If I had talked to anybody I promise you we wouldn’t be going through this process of appointing (Darren) Beadman then going on with someone else.
“The point is Beadman’s in place to give us some breathing space to make the right decision.”
Plumptre remained adamant that the position of Beadman will be an interim role until the global operation can find the right person for the job.
“I asked him if he’d like to step up and take the reins and he’s stepped up and relished the task. He’s been fantastic the last few days,” Plumptre said.
“We both agree he’s not ready for that (full time role) at the moment. Darren’s very pragmatic about that. Maybe in three or four years time he might be.
“We took Darren Beadman on because of the intellectual property he has in his head. He’s worked with some of the greatest trainers across the globe. He’s worked with Bart Cummings, he’s worked with John Moore, he’s worked with John Hawkes, he’s just a very, very accomplished horseman.”
Plumptre is hoping to get some insight from Beadman over the course of the next few months and has every faith that he can run the operation for the time being.
“I think what we have to do with Darren over the next few months is to unlock that intellectual property he has in his head. I have absolutely no doubt that he has what it takes to step up and do this job,” Plumptre said.
“If it takes us two months to find a replacement he’ll be able to do it, if he’s still in place when we kick off spring carnival, I’ve got every confidence that he and his team will be able to turn the horses out as competitive as ever.
“We’ve been very transparent with each other. In the next few months I’ll be looking for someone and he’ll be consulted on who that is.”
It looks as though Godolphin hasn’t fully decided on who will be taking over. It’s not a decision that would be made quickly, hence the promotion of Darren Beadman in the meantime.
When John O’Shea took over from Peter Snowden, he had to meet with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai and it’s a process that took plenty of time and careful consideration.
If James Cummings is to take over the role, like bookmakers suggest he will, he will need to show his professionalism and the ability to cope with a much larger operation that what he’s currently used to.
We think it’s about time Cummings was put in a position of power and responsibility. He’s a capable young horseman from an astute family and he will no doubt have plenty of guidance if he is to accept the role.