Saintly arrived at just the right time for master trainer Bart Cummings, writes Jon Anderson

CHAMPION racehorse Saintly came along at just the right time for Bart Cummings, but just how good he might have become is open for debate, writes Jon Anderson.

Jockey Darren Beadman (left) with Saintly and Bart Cummings after the 1996 Melbourne Cup.

SAINTLY, the horse with the heavenly name who has died aged 24, was the champion that came along at just the right time for Bart Cummings.

When the flashy chestnut son of Sky Chase and All Grace dominated the 1996 Cup field, Cummings was rising 70, so the four-year-old was just what the master trainer required to remind the racing world he had more cups in front of him (two to be precise to take his tally to 12).

Bart Cummings was extremely fond of the old champ and a print of Saintly’s Melbourne Cup victory took centre stage in his bar at his Melbourne stables.

RIP: CHAMPION RACEHORSE SAINTLY DIES

Sadly injury prevented Saintly from racing on beyond the autumn of 1997, which is what he would have done given he was a gelding, and robbed the public of mouth-watering clashes with Might and Power who emerged the following year.

Saintly, ridden by Darren Beadman, wins the 1996 Melbourne Cup. Picture: Darren Tindale

That pair belong to a very select club, both having won the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup. In doing so they joined Nightmarch, Phar Lap and Rising Fast, with Makybe Diva to achieve the same in 2005.

TOP 10 AUSTRALIAN-TRAINED RACEHORSES OF ALL TIME

Cummings’ love for Saintly was highlighted when he named his Melbourne training complex after him — Saintly Place — with the base closed in 2013 when the training doyen started to scale down.

Saintly, the horse from heaven, has gone home. He gave us so much.

— Anthony J Cummings (@ACummingsracing) December 15, 2016

Where Saintly ranked with Cummings’ greatest stayers was something he never officially addressed, other than to place him in a trifecta with Galilee and So You Think at the top.

Saintly’s godly connections didn’t end with his name, Cummings being a devout Catholic and the jockey Darren Beadman sharing similarly strong beliefs.

Bart Cummings rated Saintly among his top three gallopers.

Indeed, a year after Saintly won the Cup, Beadman shocked the racing world by retiring, declaring God had spoken with him. It prompted Cummings to quip he should ask for a second opinion.

Such was Bart Cummings’ love of his great stayer that he called his Melbourne stables Saintly Lodge. Picture: Simon Bullard

BEADMAN: “HE HOLDS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART”

How good Saintly would have become is open to debate, although he seemed poised to rewrite further records, particularly at his beloved Flemington where he started three times for three wins in the Carbine Club Stakes, Australian Cup and Melbourne Cup.

This boy was the reason I fell in love with the "Sport of Kings." Forever royalty in my eyes #rip #saintly #racetrackinthesky pic.twitter.com/rhifjweIGZ

— Ricey (@Riceytweet87) December 16, 2016

Saintly, the horse from heaven who gave Bart Cummings his 10th Melbourne Cup. Now both reunited once again.
Image: Andrew Rosenfeldt pic.twitter.com/IDjbWNVorf

— FlemingtonRacecourse (@FlemingtonVRC) December 16, 2016

@ACummingsracing Very sad to hear Saintly has passed. I had the privilege of seeing him 2 weeks ago at Princes. He was the greatest.

— Keith Peel (@keith_peel) December 16, 2016

After his Cup victory he returned in the Orr Stakes at Caulfield in February, 1997, and dominated a field of sprinters over 1400m. Then he was gone to injury, leaving us with might have been.

Although that was enough to know we had witnessed something very special.

Saintly pulls up after unleashing a dazzling burst of speed to win the Orr Stakes at Caulfield in February 1997. Picture: Joe Sabljak

Originally published as Saintly arrived at just the right time for master trainer Bart Cummings, writes Jon Anderson