Kementari gets another chance at spring G1

Friday 9 November 2018, 4:40pm

A spring campaign which has promised plenty for Kementari is yet to deliver a big-race win.

But trainer James Cummings retains faith the high profile sprinter-miler's preparation can end on a high note in Saturday's $1 million Group One VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington.

Last season's Group One Randwick Guineas winner has gone winless this spring with circumstances playing against him on a couple of occasions.

After charging late for a close second to Pierata in the Group Two Missile Stakes first-up in August, Kementari finished fourth in the Group One Winx Stakes before a close second in the Group One Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.

The four-year-old was freshened after his fourth in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) in September then ran third in the Group One Manikato Stakes (1200m) behind Brave Smash and Spirit Of Valor.

"He's coming into the race with a brilliant effort in the Manikato under his belt but a winless preparation," Cummings said.

"I think that if he can get up in the VRC Sprint tomorrow then his whole preparation will be completely forgiven and his fan club would be right there behind him again."

Kementari shares the second line of betting with Pierata at $6.50 behind dual Everest winner and defending champion Redzel ($5).

"He's a really, really impressive sprinter miler. Make no mistake about that," Cummings said.

"He was an inch off winning a weight-for-age Group Two over 1200 metres first-up this preparation.

"And in the Manikato he was at the head of the peloton 30 metres after the line at Moonee Valley and he was forced to circle the field on a track that night that everyone wanted to tell me was favouring horses up near the lead and near the fence.

"I think the horse is a very capable six-furlong horse.

"It would be a picture-perfect way for him to finish his preparation in a great race like this."

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »