Kementari to confirm star rating in G1 Doncaster

All the signs are positive for Godolphin’s star Australian colt Kementari to finish his three-year-old season with a second G1 victory when he runs in Saturday’s Doncaster Mile at Randwick.

The colt who won his first three starts this time in, including the G1 Randwick Guineas, was tested against the world’s best last start when third to the champion mare Winx in the G1 George Ryder Stakes.

And his trainer James Cummings is satisfied Kementari (Brenton Avdulla) has taken improvement from that run and is ready to peak in a race that has been the major goal of his current preparation.

“We’d been impressed to see the change in the horse leading into the George Ryder and after racing so well against Winx he seems to have come out of it with more energy,” Cummings said.

“He’s certainly looking like he’s still on the rise which is perfect considering what he did at this track and distance in the Randwick Guineas two starts back.

“We feel like we’re going to see a big performance from him and for us, it’s very exciting to saddle up a colt of his calibre in such a prestigious race. He gives a real sense of this being his grand final.”

Kementari had only two starts as a two-year-old, winning one and finishing second in the other.

Following a relatively quiet path last spring he failed narrowly after being luckless in the G1 Caulfield Guineas. But the effort signalled big things for the autumn.

The son of Lonhro fulfilled all expectations, winning first time out in the G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes and then adding the G2 Hobartville Stakes and the G1 Randwick Guineas to a record that now stands at four wins and four placings from 10 starts and almost A$1.5m in prizemoney.

Kementari would double that figure with victory in the Doncaster, and at the same time place himself among the best of a classy crop of Australian three-year-olds.

With only 51.5kg to carry on Saturday, Kementari is receiving weight from most of the obvious contenders, including Happy Clapper who finished just ahead of him in the George Ryder.

He has also drawn perfectly in barrier two, with the other in-form three-year-old D’Argento in gate 15 while topweight Humidor, an impressive winner last start of the G2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington, will start from barrier four.