A chance meeting in an Adelaide pub many years ago was the catalyst for a partnership that has netted four Melbourne Cups and a friendship like no other between Bart Cummings and Dato'Tan Chin Nam.As the two octogenarians celebrated an historic win, they were able to reflect on their long association and the good fortune it has brought them.A Malaysian businessman, Dato'Tan has a passion for horse racing and a passion for life.He stayed loyal to Cummings throughout the toughest times in Bart's

A chance meeting in an Adelaide pub many years ago was the catalyst for a partnership that has netted four Melbourne Cups and a friendship like no other between Bart Cummings and Dato'Tan Chin Nam.

As the two octogenarians celebrated an historic win, they were able to reflect on their long association and the good fortune it has brought them.

A Malaysian businessman, Dato'Tan has a passion for horse racing and a passion for life.

He stayed loyal to Cummings throughout the toughest times in Bart's career when the collapse of the Cups King syndicate almost sent him to the wall.

Asked to describe their relationship, the Dato said: "For better for worse - better the devil you know than the angel you don't know.

"It's been all the way better."

Cummings decided shortly after meeting him he needed to stick by Dato'Tan.

"He was having a drink in my bar in Adelaide years ago," he said.

"We were playing two-up and he won seven times in a row.

"I thought I'd better stick with him - he's lucky."

Lucky he has been in the Cup, with Think Big in 1974 and 1975 and the most famous of all, Saintly, in 1996.

The "horse from heaven" sported the black and white checked colours of the Dato's other passion, chess, as did Viewed, who was bought out of a paddock for $50,000 by his bloodstock manager Duncan Ramage.

"I've been in racing since 1948 and I've got an eye for horses," Dato'Tan said.

"I didn't think Viewed should be more than 20-1."

He started at 40-1, with punters clamouring to back the European horses.

But no-one begrudged Cummings the historic win.

He suddenly had a lot of mates among the 100,000 people on course, but none more special than the man who described their friendship in his unique way:

"Here's to the health of your blood, the blood of your health

For it takes good health to make good blood

Here's to your very good health

Here's to me, here's to you

May we never disagree

In the event that we do

Here's to me, to hell with you."