Steve Fitch has become just the second trainer on record to win the Ladbrokes Richmond Derby and Oaks double with littermates Cumbria Chrissy and Cumbria Jack both saluting in Sydney’s West on Friday night.
In the Derby, reigning National Sprint champion Cumbria Jack destroyed a quality field of dogs to pick up his 19th career win and take his career earnings over $300,000.
The Richmond 520m track record holder burning his way to the front after negotiating a tricky first bend, eventually stopping the clock in 29.11 to win by five lengths.
“It’s Jack doing Jack things, he does things other dogs can’t do,” Fitch said post-race.
“I don’t believe you deserve it, I think you’ve got to earn it. He did it the hard way, he pushed through here, he went around them, he’s just a very fast dog.”
“I’ve never seen a dog with so many brains in a field…he just takes the right option, the only time he didn’t was in the semi-final of the Million Dollar Chase.”
“You can’t teach it, you can’t train it, I’m no guru trainer mate, I just look after him and let him run around at home and bring him here and he does his thing.”
Cumbria Jack and Cumbria Chrissy are by Fernando Bale out of Cumbria Ninno.
Foreign Capital continued his good run of late to finish second (he also ran third in the Bulli and Goulburn Cup finals), while Jungle Johnny overcame some early interference to claim third spot.
The Oaks final was an absolute bell ringer with Cumbria Chrissy prevailing in a four-way photo finish.
Tenacious Talker (0.13 lengths) and Eriza Sparkles (0.63 lengths) ran second and third respectively, while Secret Bandit had to settle for fourth despite being less than a length from the winner.
Cumbria Chrissy emerging as a sprinting star in her own right in 2026 with her Oaks victory coming on the back of a Group 1 Gold Bullion runner-up finish at The Q earlier this month.
“Good dogs make you look good don’t they…the win means a lot more than the money. She’s a lovely bitch and she got the box and she’s used it,” Fitch added.
“It took a Melbourne Cup winner [Canya Mayhem] to run her down in a Gold Bullion in the last two strides…she chases hard…she’s very smart in a field. I was rapt with her run in Queensland but gutted at the same time to get beat, but here she is, a Group 2 winner and that’s pretty special.”
Cumbria Chrissy (centre) with Tenacious Talker on the left (second) and Eriza Sparkles on the right (third)
It was not the Fitch double many expected on Friday evening, but the Nowra Hill-based mentor still walked away delighted with his kennel's effort.
“I’m happy to get a double anywhere so we’ll take a couple of Group 2’s," he said.
“[Eriza] Sparkles found a little bit of trouble and was flying home but just gave them too much start.”
“I saw her and the 5 and 7 pushing each other around and I didn’t see her until she got to the home bend and I thought she was nearly going to win from there.”
“She’s not a brilliant box dog, she’s just got a lot of early speed once she hits the ground…she needs to be left alone for 10 metres and she didn’t and Chrissy got around the bend and got the spoils.”
The next stop on the agenda looking like a Group 1 assault at Wentworth Park.
“We’ll just get them back to Wenty [Park] and make it their home track for the next month and into the [Golden Easter] Egg.”
The only other trainer on record to do the Derby/Oaks double is Jason Mackay who trained Zipping Catra and Path To Vegas to wins in 2012.
In the night’s other feature race, Tank Keeping claimed the Frank Kennedy Memorial over 622m for Charmaine Roberts from Zig Zag Man and Zipping Xaden.
