Horse racing fans will be familiar with the name Francesca Cumani.
Her father, Luca, started his horse training career in 1976 at Bedford House Stables in Newmarket, Suffolk. The Cumani story originated back in Milan, Italy. In fact, Luca’s father, Sergio, was a champion trainer in his homeland. It is worth noting that Luca learned his trade as assistant trainer for Henry Cecil. He retired from training in 2018, a career spanning 43 years. I often see him at Great Yarmouth, and he always gave the impression of a considerate soul.
It’s little wonder his daughter, Francesca, followed in her famous father’s footsteps, not so much in training horses but in front of the camera.
Her in-depth knowledge of the horse racing industry were the perfect credentials to become a horse racing presenter. In recent years, more women have played an important role within racing media, and many have noted her flair and on-screen presence and polyglot.
The home of racing, Newmarket, has been the starting point for many within the horse racing industry. However, she also held an amateur jockey licence and tasted victory with four wins.
Born in 1983, in Newmarket, Suffolk, she is the daughter of Luca and Sara. She has one sibling, Matt, a horse trainer based in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
Educated at Tudor Hall School in Oxfordshire, which costs about £60,000 per academic year for full boarding, this girls’ school was founded in 1850. Later, she went on to read French and Spanish at the University of Bristol. Her linguistic talents allow her to present to a global audience, which few UK-based commentators can achieve.
Initially, she worked in the family business of training and breeding racehorses at Bedford House Stables, Newmarket.
She got her first taste for presenting while on holiday in Australia. She was invited as a guest presenter on Channel 7’s horse racing coverage, one of the major free-to-air television networks.
This led to an opportunity with CNN, for a global horse racing show called Winning Post. Once again, she was able to showcase her talents by presenting in both English and Spanish. This started in 2011, evolving into monthly features from 2012. She continued this work until 2015.
2016 saw her major breakthrough on UK terrestrial television when Cumani joined ITV Racing, alongside a selection of presenters, reporters, pundits, and commentators, including: Ed Chamberlin, Oli Bell, Alice Plunkett, Matt Chapman, Luke Harvey, Sir Anthony McCoy, and Richard Hoiles (to name just a few of the large team).
The accolades followed when she and Chamberlin were awarded Broadcast Sports Presenter of the Year (2019) at the SJA Awards. Voting was decided by panel judgments and SJA members.
Francesca Cumani is a regular contributor to Australian television, covering the Melbourne Cup for both Seven Network and Network 10.
Other interests include fashion collaborations with Sarah Kate Byrne, brand ambassadorships with Tusting, supporting the welfare of retired racehorses and social media influencer on Instagram engaging a broad audience.
She is the mother of three children, balancing a high-profile broadcasting career with motherhood.