Why James Cummings picked Hong Kong over ‘bricks and mortar' of Leilani Lodge
Cummings' deal to join the famed racing district was announced on Wednesday, ending speculation about the 52-time group 1-winning trainer's future.
The 37-year-old, the grandson of Melbourne Cup king Bart Cummings, was due to finish as Godolphin's head trainer on July 31 after the racing powerhouse's decision to move away from a private training model.
Returning to the public ranks, Cummings was then set to face a battle with Ciaron Maher and the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott team to take over the 55-box stables of Leilani Lodge. Cummings' father, Anthony, was forced out of the stables in February after having his trainer's licence revoked because of his financial troubles. The Cummings family has occupied the stables since Bart established them in the early 1980s.
The Australian Turf club has not announced a new tenant, but Maher, the nation's leading trainer, looks certain to get the nod after Cummings' withdrawal.
Cummings said his decision to move to Hong Kong came without knowledge about who was getting Leilani Lodge.
'The ATC were very patient, and I respect the position they were in, and the decision hadn't been made at all. I never got that sense,' Cummings said. 'I wanted to know all the information that was on the table there, and I got to that position.'
He said the potential to train out of Leilani Lodge again had been tempting but the need to provide clarity for staff and clients, given his chance in Hong Kong, was more important.
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"All Cadillac Lyriq, Lyriq-V, Vistiq and Optiq vehicles coming to Australia and New Zealand will offer Cadillac Connected Services as well as wireless smartphone projection, which is currently available in Lyriq models (i.e. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto)," said a GM spokesperson. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Cadillac announced last month it was rolling out Cadillac Connected Services in Australia, starting with what's currently its only model – the large Lyriq electric SUV – late in 2025. Buyers will get eight years of complimentary access. Customers who take delivery of a Lyriq prior to the launch of Cadillac Connected Services will be able to get them courtesy of a complimentary upgrade at a Cadillac Service location. This suite of technology includes mobile app connectivity, over-the-air update capability, and what the brand refers to as Connected Infotainment – essentially Cadillac-speak for the presence of Google built-in, featuring embedded Google apps such as Google Maps and Google Assistant, with more available to download via the Google Play Store. This also features smart routing. Google Maps will tell you what your battery percentage will be at the end of your journey, and suggest charging stops if necessary along your route. The Cadillac smartphone app will allow you to remotely check the vehicle's status including its location and charge level, and control the locks, alarm, lights, windows and air-conditioning. This kind of app-based connectivity has become extremely common in recent years in Australia after previously being the exclusive domain of brands like Tesla. In many cases, brands have finally rolled it out in Australia after having had it in markets like the US for several years already – Hyundai and Toyota being examples of this. One key piece of technology GM offers in North America but hasn't announced plans to roll out here is Super Cruise. This allows hands-free driving across over a million kilometres of roads on the continent. GM has said Australian legislation doesn't support the feature's use locally, and the cost to map a country is in the millions of dollars. Cadillac commenced local deliveries of the Lyriq earlier this year, and next year it'll be joined by the smaller Optiq and larger, three-row Vistiq crossover SUVs, plus a hot version called the Lyriq-V. It's continuing with its plans to be an electric-only brand in Australia, and has previously spoken of selling models in "exclusive volumes". It has just one Australian retail location for now, in Sydney, with another to open in Brisbane this year. 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This suite of technology includes mobile app connectivity, over-the-air update capability, and what the brand refers to as Connected Infotainment – essentially Cadillac-speak for the presence of Google built-in, featuring embedded Google apps such as Google Maps and Google Assistant, with more available to download via the Google Play Store. This also features smart routing. Google Maps will tell you what your battery percentage will be at the end of your journey, and suggest charging stops if necessary along your route. The Cadillac smartphone app will allow you to remotely check the vehicle's status including its location and charge level, and control the locks, alarm, lights, windows and air-conditioning. This kind of app-based connectivity has become extremely common in recent years in Australia after previously being the exclusive domain of brands like Tesla. 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