Luca Cumani

Italian Luca Cumani is one of Britain’s leading racehorse trainers, who has experienced success in the UK and around the world. Training some of the highest-profile racehorses of his generation he’s achieved major wins, including at seven British Classic races, the Breeders’ Cup Mile and the Arlington Million. 

The son of champion amateur jockey Elena and champion trainer Sergio Cumani, Luca always knew racing was his destiny and was inspired from an early age to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Drawn to Newmarket he arrived in the U.K. in his early twenties and landed a role as assistant to legendary ten-time champion trainer, Sir Henry Cecil. 

He soon established his own training stables at Bedford Hourse in 1976, where continues to work to this day. From there he’s trained hundreds of winners including Epsom Derby victors Kahyasi (1988) and High-Rise (1998) and the 1994 St. Leger Stakes winner Commanche Run. 

Cumani has claimed victory at all Britain’s major racing festivals including winning the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes once, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes twice and the St James’s Palace Stakes twice. 

His achievements have continued abroad with major wins at the Irish 1,000 Guineas twice, the 2,000 Guineas and the Irish Derby and in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Cup and Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

After working under racing great Henry Cecil, Cumani has gone on to cultivate his own reputation as a mentor to trainers and jockeys including Frankie Dettori, Jason Weaver and Nicky Mackay.