Kementari continues to improve ahead of G1 Flemington challenge

Another encouraging gallop and the indelible impression he made at his latest outing have maintained stable confidence in Kementari leading into Saturday’s G1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

Trainer James Cummings made the journey from his Sydney base to see his Melbourne runners in action on Tuesday morning and came away satisfied the star of his team is ready for his next assignment.

“He’s the fittest he’s been this campaign and his work on Tuesday morning reflected that,” Cummings said.

Kementari (Craig Williams) produced the best performance of his current preparation when narrowly beaten by Humidor in the G1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield two weeks ago and steps out from 1,400m to 1,600m at Flemington.

Cummings believes Kementari derived confidence as well as fitness from the Memsie Stakes performance in which he was three-wide without cover throughout and was still making ground on the line.

“He’ll go to the Makybe Diva on Saturday with the confidence of a horse who’s a last-start winner,” Cummings said.

Despite the tough run, Kementari has been bright and keen in his work since.

“His gallop on the course proper at Flemington was what I wanted to see, he’s tightened up nicely,” the trainer said.

“He picked up nicely from the six furlongs and was full of running on the line, suggesting to me that he’s coped well with his very impressive Memsie Stakes run.

“Since the Caulfield race he’s been really bright and he looks confident stepping up to the mile.”

Saturday’s run will be Kementari’s fourth in a campaign and a repeat of his Caulfield run on a more galloping track such as Flemington should again put him in the finish. 

The son of Lonhro meets a similar field to that which opposed him in the Memsie with Humidor again lining up along with Kings Will Dream who was third at Caulfield and the evergreen Happy Clapper who was a close seventh.

The Japanese stayer Tosen Basil is scheduled to make his Australian debut in the race, which should be too short for him.