Selectors drop Hughes down order

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ALEX Doolan's selection in a 14-man squad for Sydney highlights just how far Phil Hughes has been banished from Test cricket.

One of the best performed players in the Sheffield Shield this season, Hughes clearly has more to prove after being one of the victims from Australia's 3-0 loss in England.

With Australia aiming for a 5-0 whitewash in the fifth and final Test at the SCG, beginning on Friday, Doolan has been picked as cover for Shane Watson, who suffered a minor groin injury in Melbourne.

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Permanent 12th-man James Faulkner remains in the squad and may play if Watson is ruled out or cannot bowl, while fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile remains on standby for Ryan Harris and his dodgy knee. Doug Bollinger has been released from the squad.

While Watson was restricted with his bowling, he played a pivotal innings at the MCG on Sunday, scoring 83 not out to ensure an easy eight-wicket victory in the fourth Test.

The selectors have had their eye on Doolan for two seasons now but have chosen him at a time when his form has tapered off significantly.

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After scoring 56 and 132 for Tasmania against a NSW team led by Michael Clarke to start the Sheffield Shield season, Doolan then had eight first class innings under 50, with five of them under 20.

He came good with 75 in his last Shield innings before the Big Bash hiatus began three weeks ago.

While Doolan has 391 Shield runs at 39 this season with the one hundred, Hughes has 549 at 61, with three hundreds including a double century.

Hughes is also three years younger than Doolan, having just turned 25, but the left hander's topsy turvey Test career so far has left the selectors nonplussed.

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In 26 Tests Hughes has three centuries at an average of 33.

The experiment of playing the regular opening batsman down the order proved unsuccessful, particularly against spin.

On spinner-friendly wickets in India and England he often struggled with off-spinners turning the ball away from him.

The best way for Hughes to regain his place appears to be replacing 36-year-old Chris Rogers at the top of the order but that looks unlikely any time soon after Rogers scored a match-winning century in Melbourne just two days ago.

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Tall and elegant, Doolan looks a fine player but often fails to turn nice starts into big scores.

The best example this season was opening the batting for Australia A against England early last month in a tour match badly marred by rain.

He made a sparkling 31 from just 35 balls, hitting five fours from confident drives as his opening partner Michael Klinger struggled.

Yet Doolan was bowled by a Jimmy Anderson off-cutter which went sailing through a big gap.

The Tasmanian first came to notice early last season when he scored an unbeaten 161 for Australia A against South Africa.

It remains his highest score and is one of just six centuries he has made in 53 first class matches while averaging 38.

Hughes has 24 centuries in 106 first class matches and averages 45.

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Federer fears a fired-up Hewitt

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ROGER Federer once feared Lleyton Hewitt would prematurely retire with injury but now he insists the former world No.1 is the last person he wants to confront in Australia because he has the "fire in his eyes" again.

Federer knows more about Hewitt than most. The duo have clashed countless times in careers spanning back to their junior days and last met as recently as Sunday where they sweated it out over two hours on the practice court together.

The Swiss superstar could immediately sense that Hewitt was back in his sweet zone, happy on tour and striking the ball well after a troubling few years plagued by injury.

"It seems like he's really enjoying it, which is nice, because for a while there I thought he was not going to be able to stay on tour much longer with all the injuries that he had," Federer said.

"It's nice to see that he's back healthy and has the fire in his eyes, because that's what he needs to play and to beat the best.

"I hope he can win tournaments and move up in the rankings to give himself better opportunities to move forward in the draw."

Federer points to Hewitt's defeat of Juan Martin Del Potro at this year's US Open as proof he can still mix it with the best, while the Australian world No.60 actually posted a 3-1 record against top 10 opponents in 2013.

"Here in Australia he's the last guy you want to play against anyway," Federer said.

Luckily for Federer he can only meet Hewitt here in Brisbane if the pair both reach the final.

The daunting task of facing Hewitt in round one has fallen to 17-year-old South Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis after he beat China's Wu Di 6-1 6-4 in their final qualifying clash.

Kokkinakis, an Australian Open Junior finalist last January, was just seven months old when Hewitt made his Grand Slam debut at the 1997 Australian Open as a fresh-faced 15-year-old.

The old bull and young buck of Australian tennis will clash on Pat Rafter Arena tonight with the men's draw guaranteed of featuring at least three Australians into the second round as Nick Kyrgios and Matthew Ebden will also play today and Marinko Matosevic progressed yesterday.

Federer begins his campaign tomorrow night against Finland's Jarkko Nieminen who yesterday defeated young Australian wildcard James Duckworth 6-2 6-3.

It will be the first chance to see the 17-times Grand Slam winner play since sparking up a relationship with former Swedish great Stefan Edberg.

Asked whether partnering with the noted serve-volleyer indicated a more aggressive game plan in 2014, Federer said it was something he was definitely considering.

"It's going to be interesting to see what he thinks, if it's possible to play a lot of serve and volley on the slower courts we see all around the world now, or if there are different ways for me to find my way to the net," he said.

"I've tried many things. We can debate, and Severin Luthi, my coach about ways to come to the net or not. Clearly it's important to take time way from your opponent, to dictate play as well as much as you can. Also, you have to be able to not miss too much and physically stay in the rally and mentally as well.

"So it's a combination of many things now against the good players we know at the top. So it's going to interesting to see what he has to say."

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Aussie tail wags after batting pact

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THE Australian bowlers have made a pact. Not so much about peppering Stuart Broad with sandshoe crushers and chin music.

More so about contributing with the bat.

Victorian paceman James Pattinson revealed on Monday morning that the Aussie bowlers tried to contribute at least a combined 100 runs to every Test innings.

Australian batting coach Michael DiVenuto said the Australian tail's contribution in this Ashes series "absolutely" had been one of the key differences between the teams.

"I like to call them our lower order," Di Venuto said. "I don't think we've got any tailenders; they only bat down there because they have to bowl 20 overs so they have a bit of a rest as well.

"They are all highly skilled and highly talented and there is no reason why those guys can't score runs and good runs."

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Test skipper Michael Clarke said his faith in the tailenders meant that the Australian batsmen did not feel compelled to slog like England's Kevin Pietersen late in an innings.

"I think our tail's done a great job, there's no doubt about that," Clarke said after the MCG Test. "I think our bowlers deserve a lot of credit for the work they've put in on their batting and I think they're getting the rewards

"If you look at all of our bowlers, they can certainly score handy runs for us and have done throughout the series and allow the batsmen at the time to bat normally. I think Brad Haddin is a great example of that, that the tail has allowed him to play his natural game."

A statistical analysis shows that the Australian lower order (last five wickets) have contributed on average 27 more runs per man than the English tail.

"We have just been blowing their lower order away," DiVenuto said. "They get to six (wickets) down and they're almost all out and some of those guys can bat too, so full credit to our bowlers for doing a job on their tail.

"And when our blokes get the opportunity with the bat they are determined to score runs."

So much so that Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle have been listed among the top 10 all-rounders on the latest batch of official International Cricket Council rankings.

"Have they?" chuckled DiVenuto. "Don't tell them that."

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I want to finish the job: Harris

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RYAN Harris won't hear of being rested and has told Australian coach Darren Lehmann to let him "finish the job" on the Poms in Sydney this week.

There has been strong speculation the blue-chip quick with the long injury history will be told to put his feet up at the SCG when the Aussies aim to rub England's noses in a 5-0 Ashes whitewash.

But Harris told The Courier-Mai l that he spoke with Lehmann and Australian captain Michael Clarke after the Boxing Day Test win and assured them he was ready to rumble in the harbour city.

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The 34-year-old insists he feels fresh, despite some normal swelling on his chronic knee injury in between Tests, and says he is preparing to play in the fifth Test starting on Friday.

"I have told Boof (Lehmann) I want to finish the job on the Poms," Harris told The Courier-Mail.

"That is what I want to do. And Boof and Pup (Michael Clarke) both know that is what I want to do.

"I am actually feeling quite fresh, I didn't probably bowl as many overs in Melbourne as I thought I was going to.

"My knee has got a little bit of swelling but that always happens in between Tests and that's not unexpected at all."

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Harris had a day off in Melbourne on Monday and will arrive in Sydney this morning where he will be assessed by team medicos who will make a recommendation on whether he plays in Sydney.

The fast bowler knows his body better than anyone and has always said he is better off playing than being rested, even if he has some aches and pains.

Some fast bowlers appreciate rest but Harris prefers to keep bowling, pointing out that he often finds it hard to get his body going again once he comes to a standstill.

Australia has the big picture in mind and, with the Ashes won, doesn't want to do anything to jeopardise Harris's fitness ahead of a marquee three-Test battle in South Africa in February and March.

Lehmann has hinted Harris could be rested for Sydney but also left a window of opportunity when he said: "If he's fit and can get through and do a job for his captain, he'll play."

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Harris, who points out he will have at least a six-day rest after the Sydney Test anyway, will be disappointed if he is ordered to rest but will be sensible enough not to kick up a fuss.

"If that happens, then the coaching staff and the medical staff will have made that decision and I will live with it," Harris said.

If Harris is rested against his wishes, fast bowling allrounder James Faulkner would almost certainly play at the SCG.

And while Ricky Ponting has retired, another Tasmanian batsman could be about to step into his shoes.

Alex Doolan, 28, is within reach of a baggy green cap after being added to Australia's Test squad as cover for injured allrounder and No.3 bat Shane Watson (groin soreness).

Watson was able to bowl short spells in both innings at the MCG and hit 83no on the final day but was still clearly hindered by the injury that forced him from the field on day one.

Doolan was tipped as a future Test player last summer when he scored an unbeaten 161 for Australia A against a touring South African team that included Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.

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Schumacher still critical

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FORMULA 1 legend Michael Schumacher remains in a critical condition as French doctors work '"hour-by-hour" to save him.

The 44-year-old has been placed in an artificial coma while neurosurgeons try to reduce the pressure on his brain.

He is in an induced coma being treated for an intracranial haematoma after a "high speed" impact, say his surgeons.

Without a helmet, the German racing star would have died, doctors say.

Contrary to earlier reports, Schumacher has been operated on only once, reporters were told at a press conference in Grenoble.

A spokesman for the hospital said: "Michael Schumacher was the victim of very serious trauma. He was very agitated when he arrived and we decided he was in a critical situation and he quickly went into a coma.

Michael Schumacher pictures while announcing his retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the 2012 season.

"The neurosurgical treatment he received brought us quite a lot of information. We had to operate urgently to release some pressure in his head. Unfortunately, he has some lesions within his brain."

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Professor Jean-Francois Payen told reporters: "I'd say this accident happened in the right place because he was taken into hospital immediately and operated on as soon as he arrived, this meant his state is critical and he is still in a coma and he will be kept in a coma.

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"Everything that needed to be done has been done at the moment we can't really say when he will recover, we cannot answer this yet."

Professor Payen said Schumacher was "fighting for his life".

"We judge him to be in a very serious situation. We cannot tell what the outcome will be yet. We are working hour-by-hour but it's too early to say what is going to happen and to have a prognosis.

"We think his helmet did help, without a helmet he wouldn't be here now."

Schumacher's wife Corinna and the rest of his family thanked well-wishers and gave a special nod to the doctors treating him.

Jean Marc Grenier, the deputy director of the hospital, speaks to the press.

"We would like to thank the medical team who, we know, do everything possible to help Michael," Corinna said in a statement.

Schumacher had been skiing off-piste in the upmarket Meribel resort when he fell and hit his head on a rock, mountain police who gave him first aid said.

Schumacher, who lives with his family in Switzerland, was on a private stay in Meribel, according to his spokeswoman.

Meribel is part of an extensive ski region with about 180 lifts connecting three alpine valleys.

Schumacher was reportedly skiing with his 14-year-old son at the time of the accident.

A helicopter in front of the Grenoble hospital, French Alps, where Michael Schumacher is being treated after he sustained a head injury during a skiing accident in Meribel, France.

He was airlifted to a local hospital, then to the Grenoble facility. A specialist neurosurgeon from Paris was rushed in to oversee his treatment.

The director of the Meribel resort, Christophe Gernigon-Lecomte, had said just after the accident that Schumacher had been wearing a helmet and was "conscious but a little agitated'' just after the accident, with early reports suggesting there was no cause for alarm.

But when Schumacher then fell into coma, doctors realised the damage was worse than initially feared.

The two mountain police officers who gave first aid said Schumacher was suffering "severe cranial trauma'' when they got to him and a helicopter was brought in to evacuate him within 10 minutes.

A renowned Paris surgeon, Dr Gerard Saillant - who also operated on Schumacher when he broke his calf and shinbone during his most serious racing crash at the 1999 British Grand Prix - was brought to the Grenoble hospital in a police car to take charge of the famous patient.

A file photo shows Michael Schumacher skiing in the Italian Alps in 2006. Schumacher is in a critical condition after hitting his head in a fall while skiing.

Police officers have been stationed to guard the hospital's entrances.

Dr Gary Hartstein, former Medical Delegate for the Formula 1 World Championship, took to Twitter to attempt to explain the medical situation Schumacher finds himself in.

"It's quite well known that extradural hematomas, a kind of cerebral hemorrhage, can leave a lucid interval after injury," he wrote, referring to reports that Schumacher was conscious when he was attended to after the accident.

"Then as the hematoma forms, the sudden increase in pressure causes sudden and dramatic symptoms. Pressure must be relieved rapidly.

"This is done with a neurosurgical intervention. Then the victim is observed in an ICU environment.

A file pitcure of Michael Schumacher from his Ferrari days, Schumacher is in a critical condition after hitting his head in a fall while skiing.

"Quality of recovery depends on: 1) severity of initial injury, 2) acuteness and amplitude of pressure rise when hematoma forms, 3) rapidity with which it is drained, 4) quality of neuro intensive care and rehab."

Schumacher retired from Formula 1 for a second time at the end of the 2012 season. He won two world titles with Benetton and five in a row with Ferrari.

Schumacher has had accidents before, including a motorcycle crash in February 2009 in Cartagena, Spain, where he damaged a vertebra, a rib and the bottom of his skull.

At the time, his doctor, Johannes Peil, said it had caused the racer the most serious long-term harm of his career.

That accident prevented him taking the place of Felipe Massa at Ferrari after the Brazilian suffered severe head injuries in a crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009.

He recovered from the injuries to make a shock return in 2010 at Mercedes alongside Nico Rosberg.

Though his countryman largely outshone the former champion in their three seasons together, we did see flashes of the old Schumacher.

At Monaco in 2012, the then 43-year-old five-time winner at the principality scored a popular pole position, although he would not start there on race day thanks to a 10-spot grid penalty earnt at the previous race.

That lap, along with a podium finish at Valencia the same year, were the high watermarks of his otherwise ill-fated comeback.

Formula One drivers and fans rushed to wish Schumacher a quick recovery.

"Like millions of Germans, the chancellor and members of the government were extremely dismayed when they heard about Michael Schumacher's serious skiing accident," German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in Berlin.

Sebastian Vettel, for whom Schumacher was a boyhood idol, told German news agency dpa: "I am shocked and hope that he will get better as soon as possible."

Ferrari, which Schumacher raced for, expressed its concern in a statement.

"Everyone at Ferrari has been in a state of anxiety since hearing about Michael Schumacher's accident," it said, adding that company president, Luca di Montezemolo, and race team leader, Stefano Domenicali, were in contact with the family.

British former world racing champion Jenson Button said his "thoughts are with Michael Schumacher at this tough time. ... Michael more than anyone has the strength to pull through this."

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'UFC not problem, maybe we are'

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SOMETIMES, there is just too much fight in the fight for some people.

They like their fight sanitised. Easy on the eye, even if there is a wild mismatch taking place right before them.

No blood, see, no foul.

Antonio 'Big Foot' Silva of Brazil connects with a punch during the UFC Brisbane bout. Source: Getty Images

George Foreman famously said "Boxing is the sport all others aspire to", and he was once right about that.

What he meant was the qualities we look for in any great sporting contest - the courage to keep giving, to desire to go beyond normal limits - were found in greater quantities in boxing than in any other sport.

But boxing is dying nowadays, suffering a prolonged death by greedy promoters and selfish fighters, too many of whom are more concerned about protecting their records by fighting outclassed opponents than they are putting on a true show for paying fans.

Sugar Ray Robinson lost 19 fights during his career and is considered the greatest of all time. Nowadays, fighters won't risk their zero in the loss column unless it's against the payday at the end, a Mayweather or a Pacquiao.

Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva and Mark Hunt grapple in their heavyweight fight. Source: Getty Images

So we have been slowly conditioned to passive, one-way fights where we essentially go along to watch one fighter pad his record until his payday comes along.

The fighting heart had left the fight game.

Until the UFC came along.

The UFC claims it's the fastest growing sport in the world. It is the biggest pay-per-view provider in the world.

It sold out the 12,000-seat Brisbane Entertainment Centre in days when most boxing cards around Australia can't sell a few hundred tickets.

And yet apparently they have it all wrong.

Or are we the problem?

Antonio 'Big Foot' Silva of Brazil and Mark Hunt grapple during the UFC Brisbane bout. Source: Getty Images

Those who get the UFC know that they have put the fight back into the fight game.

The UFC doesn't stand for the posers, for guys protecting records or guys that prefer to be known as a fighter than be a fighter.

Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva showed all that in Saturday's main event in Brisbane when both men, exhausted and covered in blood, gave until they had nothing left.

There was greatness in Saturday's main event.

Both men suffered head cuts and bled a little.

Antonio 'Big Foot' Silva of Brazil connects with a knee to the face of Mark Hunt. Source: Getty Images

Some found that sickening. Forget that it was superficial, so doesn't matter a lick.

I've split my head split more times than I care to remember and everybody that has knows all you feel is a spreading warmth, followed by wetness.

It's never life threatening, rarely even painful.

This year the UFC celebrated 20 years, a milestone that passed without a single death in the cage.

The figures are rubbery in boxing, but averages out to slightly less than 10 deaths a year.

The argument that fighters are allowed to do things in a cage that's illegal on streets is tired.

You can't tackle anybody on a footpath either, not without an assault charge being laid, yet there are hundreds in every NRL game.

The UFC is a sport and, more than that, flourishes because it contains the essence of sport.

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Berry to appeal suspension

Tommy Berry poses for a promo shoot, before his riding suspension in Hong Kong. Source: Braden Fastier / News Limited

STAR Sydney jockey Tommy Berry will appeal the severity of a month-long riding suspension he incurred in Hong Kong on Sunday night that threatens to rule him out of the rich Magic Millions carnival.

Berry rode two winners at the Sha Tin international meeting but his success was soured when stewards charged him for failing to ride his mount, Smart Man, to the finish of a support race.

Berry pleaded guilty to the charge but was shocked when hit with a 10-meeting ban. The commencement of his penalty period is delayed until after Saturday's Villiers Stakes meeting at the Kensington track.

The length of his suspension seems harsh and could prove very costly as the Magic Millions is run at the Gold Coast on January 11, five days before he is due to resume riding.

Berry, who has won two Magic Millions 2yo Classics on Karuta Queen (2011) and Driefontein (2012), is partnering Gai Waterhouse's boom first-starter Echo Gal in the TAB Rewards Plate at Warwick Farm tomorrow.

Echo Gal was very impressive winning a barrier trial at Randwick late last month and is rated one of Waterhouse's main contenders for the $2 million Magic Millions 2yo Classic.

Waterhouse has already won four Magic Millions with Assertive Lad (2000), Excellerator (2001), Dance Hero (2004) and Driefontein (2012).

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Racing Victoria to investigate BC3

RACING Victoria will investigate BC3 Thoroughbreds, as well as an alleged assault at the property of its chairman Bill Vlahos.

However, it does not have the regulatory powers to control punters clubs or wagering schemes and will leave the investigation into a reported $194 million missing account involving Vlahos to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Consumer Affairs and police.

RVL chief executive Bernard Saundry said yesterday: "In the interests of thoroughbred racing, Racing Victoria's integrity department is investigating BC3 Thoroughbreds, for which Vlahos is company chairman.

"As the lead regulator for syndication in this state, Racing Victoria stewards are investigating BC3 Thoroughbreds and the conduct of its racehorse ownership business."

In addition, Victoria Police are investigating an assault at BC3 Thoroughbreds' Connewarre spelling property on Sunday night.

"In light of this incident, we have been liaising with BC3 Thoroughbreds today regarding the welfare of their horses and staff, which remains of importance to Racing Victoria," Saundry said.

As for the Vlahos-run Victorian-based punters' club, Saundry said: "Racing Victoria has regulatory control over the conduct of thoroughbred racing in this state, however it does not have regulatory control over punters clubs or wagering schemes.

"While such clubs or schemes may be wagering on Victorian thoroughbred racing, we do not have the powers to investigate their operations nor take any action on behalf of aggrieved investors.

"Such clubs or schemes fall within the jurisdiction of the ACCC, Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Victoria Police and I strongly encourage any investors with grievances to contact these parties."

The upheaval at BC3 Thoroughbreds syndication has confused many.

Trainer Mick Price said he had expected Nordic Empire to return to his stables yesterday but the exciting two-year-old had been "locked down".

He had planned to prepare the BC3-owned horse to run at Wyong on December 19 in the Magic Millions Wyong Two-Year-Old Classic on his way to the Gold Coast for the January 11 Magic Millions.

Price told Racing Network: "He's heading nowhere.

"He's locked down. I had him booked in yesterday and it was cancelled.

"I'm unsure of what we can and can't do."

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McLean banned for six months

Jarrod McLean with his Melbourne Cup racehorse 'Kibbutz'. Source: News Limited

LEADING Warrnambool trainer Jarrod McLean has been disqualified for six months after pleading guilty to a bicarb offence at the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board in Melbourne on Monday.

He was charged by stewards after five year-old gelding Prymslea returned an elevated total carbon dioxide (TCO2) level at Mildura on August 30.

Prymslea, which ran fourth in the five horse field after starting at $2.90, has been disqualified and lost the $700 prizemoney.

McLean was also fined $2000 for not keeping records of treatment administered to the horse.

Horses trained by McLean won nearly $1 million in prizemoney last season, and so far this season they'd made $361,255.

Although he also trains flat horses, including Blackie which finished third in the Toorak Handicap during the Spring Carnival, McLean is also a prominent trainer of jumpers.

He trained Cats Fun, ridden by his brother Brad, which won the Brierly Steeplechase during the three day carnival at Warrnambool this year.

McLean combined with his brother Brad when Maythehorsebemagic to win the JJ Houlahan Hurdle and Australian Steeplechase at Sandown this year.

He starts his ban today.

And stewards yesterday charged Bendigo trainer Shaun Dwyer after eight year-old gelding Anudjawun returned a positive swab detected in a pre-race urine sample at Caulfield on October 16.

The gelding ran ninth in the BMW Handicap.

Stewards said the prohibited substance - Ibuprofen (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) - was detected.

The charge against Dwyer will be heard by the RAD Board on Tuesday.

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Cummings feud comes to an end

Bart Cummings has something to smile about again. Source: News Limited

RACING'S living legend Bart Cummings and his grandson James have resolved their differences and will continue as training partners.

It is understood the pair have reached an agreement to maintain their training business out of Royal Randwick after reports they were set to dissolve their union at the end of this month.

When contacted by The Daily Telegraph on Monday night, 26-year-old James Cummings was reluctant to make comment but did make this telling remark: "I will say this - it is business as usual," James said.

Legal representative Jack Fisher, representing the family, spoke exclusively to The Daily Telegraph on Monday night and confirmed the training partnership between Bart and James remains in place.

"I've been Bart's power attorney, advisor and friend for many years and I can tell you, in Bart's words the Cummings dynasty is a united family and I'm happy to say all is well now," Fisher said.

Bart Cummings with grandson and business partner James. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Limited

"Quite frankly, this did get a little out of hand and that happens when some people not authorised to speak, do say things to the media.

"There had to be a few amendments, a restructuring of the business, but the issues have been overcome and the training partnership continues."

Fisher said James is the director of the business while Bart has the "right to, wants to, and is relied upon to be the advisor of all thing with the horses."

"Bart is as happy as larry now, he knows what is going on," Fisher continued.

"He is 86 and obviously can't train with the intensity of a young man but he is on the phone to James all the time talking about the horses.

"James will travel out to Princes Farm at least once a week to discuss with Bart what is happening with their horses and the training programs."

It is understood the resignation of long-time Randwick stable employee Bill Charles has been accepted.

Three generations of the Cummings clan, Bart, Anthony and James, will train from the one stable block at Flemington with Melbourne stable foreman Reg Fleming continuing in that role.

James Cummings with race horse Eurozone at Leilani Lodge stables in Randwick. Source: News Limited

Amid much publicity and promise, Bart and James formed a training partnership on August 1 and their union has had immediate success.

Team Cummings had prepared 14 winners of more than $1.2 million prizemoney in just over four months, including stakes wins with Precedence (Moonee Valley Gold Cup, Queen Elizabeth Stakes) and Eurozone (The Rosebud, Stan Fox Stakes).

Reports of a split between the pair shocked the racing world last week.

Bart Cummings even outlined plans to train at the Hawkesbury, which is close to his Princes Farm property at Castlereagh in Sydney's far western suburbs.

The "Cups King" even made application to Racing NSW late last week to dissolve the training partnership in preparation for a move to Hawkesbury.

As of close of business Monday night, Racing NSW had not received any notification from Bart Cummings that he had a change of heart.

"Until we receive something official from the Cummings stable, I cannot make any comment on this matter," Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys said on Monday night.

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