Kementari at peak ahead of G1 Memsie Stakes

Another impressive effort on the training track has Godolphin’s Australian stable star Kementari in peak condition for his return to Melbourne in the G1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, 1 September.

Having contended with Winx at his last start, Kementari, in what will be the third race of his current preparation, runs into a field that is without the world-champion mare, but one that isn’t short of talent.

While trainer James Cummings acknowledges the strength of his opposition, he is satisfied Kementari (Glyn Schofield) is in the right shape to add a second G1 title to his record.

“He absolutely flew in a gallop on Tuesday morning,” Cummings said.

“Coming into this race he’s been really bright, he’s come out of his last run in sensational order.”

Having emerged as a potential top liner last spring, Kementari lived up to his promise last autumn as the top three-year-old colt in Australia, winning three races including the G1 Randwick Guineas. 

His two runs this time in have produced a luckless second to Pierata in the G2 Missile Stakes over 1,200m and a fourth behind Winx in the G1 Winx Stakes over 1,400m at Randwick two weeks ago.

Cummings is as pleased as ever that the son of Lonhro will run well, but he has appropriate respect for his opposition.

“There’s no doubt this is a very powerful weight-for-age field in the Memsie with horses like Vega Magic and Happy Clapper up against us,” Cummings said.

Cummings places a lot of importance on the familiarity with the Caulfield track that Kementari gained when a close second there in the G1 Caulfield Guineas last spring.

“I like the fact that he’s had experience at Caulfield, he’s handled the track, he’s trained very well and he’s gone forward with each run,” he said.

“So we’re looking forward to Saturday’s race and expecting a good performance.”

Most prominent among Kementari’s opposition at Caulfield will be the multiple G1 winner Happy Clapper, the leading money-winning son of the Darley stallion Teofilo, is first-up in the Memsie, while Kementari has the benefit of two runs.

Vega Magic, the winner of 13 races including the 2017 Memsie Stakes, comes to this year’s race off an impressive G3 win over 1200m at Caulfield on 28 July.