Horse racing trackside star Francesca Cumani buys Randwick penthouse

Horse racing trackside star Francesca Cumani buys Randwick penthouse
Staff reporterDecember 7, 2020

The popular Channel 7 trackside horse racing presenter Francesca Cumani and her polo playing husband Rob Archibald have bought a Sydney bolthole.

It is a $2.48 million Randwick penthouse, not far from the track.

The purchase came following the birth of the couple's first child, Harry, in April.

The UK-born Cumani is busy with the Emirates Spring Carnival.

Having studied languages at university, Cumani came to Australia in 2006 with father, the UK based trainer Luca Cumani, to run Glistening in the Melbourne Cup.

Cumani's career soon shone. 

After finishing runner up with Purple Moon (2007) and Bauer (2008), Francesca received an unexpected request from Channel 7 asking to join their Melbourne Cup panel.

Having since hosted The Winning Post on CNN, the English born TV star has just been announced as part of the UK team covering ITV's flat racing for the next four years alongside Sky Sports veteran Ed Chamberlin who has switched to ITV.

Cumani has insider-knowledge aplenty. She grew up in the Newmarket stables of her Derby-winning father Luca and rode as an amateur.

Francesca is now an ambassador for next January's Magic Millions.

The 2017 Magic Millions event will introduce polo for the first time, with an exhibition match between ambassadors Cumani, equestrian champion Royal Zara Phillips and some of the best players in the world, including Cumani's husband Rob Archibald.

Cumani married Archibald, one of Australia's top ranked polo players, in 2014. He is heir to a 70 year legacy of polo pony breeding, training and playing.

Francesca brother Matt Cumani is also in the horse racing world. 

Beginning his training at Ballarat, Matt has shot onto the scene as a trainer of international horse Grey Lion, which runs in the Geelong Cup later this month.

Grey Lion is chasing a start in the Melbourne Cup, however would need a weight penalty to make the final field.

Their three bedroom, two bathroom apartment sits atop the award-winning Pindari complex featuring an expansive split-level layout.

Its a spacious 291 sqm apartment that encourages indoor and outdoor living amid tranquil treescape vista.

It was bought from Adam Geha, who paid $1.01 million in 2005, was the architect behind the complex which won the 2009 RAIA National Architecture Award for Multi-Unit Residential

It had previously been a $2,000 a week rental before being sold by N G Farah Real Estate Coogee agent Peter McGuire.

It had been on the market for just under a year.

This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.

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