Kementari goes to the top of the class in G1 Randwick Guineas

Godolphin’s outstanding colt Kementari laid claim to the title of the best of his generation in Australia when he dominated a high-class field to win the A$1 million G1 Randwick Guineas on Saturday, 10 March.

Already the banner horse of the local team, Kementari put the result beyond doubt with a brilliant burst of acceleration halfway up the Randwick straight before cruising to the line untouched to beat Pierata and Trapeze Artist.

The turn-of-foot that had earned him G3 and G2 wins at his previous two starts carried the son of Lonhro to a 1-1/2 length victory and will ultimately have earned him a lofty future position on the Darley stallion roster.

“He put them away in the style of a really high-class colt,” said trainer James Cummings.

“I had a fearful confidence in the horse’s opportunity to win today.

“He was silky smooth. On that performance, he has to be one of the best in the country.”

The Randwick Guineas win made amends for Kementari’s close second in the G1 Caulfield Guineas last November when his inexperience probably cost him.

But that disappointment has been consigned to the distant past by an autumn campaign which he began with a stunning win in the G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes.

He followed that with an even more impressive performance to win the G2 Hobartville Stakes, with Cummings maintaining that Kementari’s best would come when he stepped up to the 1,600m of the Guineas.

“The mile is what he’s been waiting for, and today he showed why,” he said.

Kementari is Cummings’ third G1 winner since becoming Godolphin’s head Australian trainer last July.

As much as the win meant to his career, Cummings was quick to praise his team.

“The work that goes into getting a horse to this point can never be underestimated, it can only happen if you have a team like the one we have,” he said.

Cummings also acknowledged the pleasure it gave him to train such a horse as Kementari for Godolphin founder His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

“This is the sort of horse that Sheikh Mohammed is in racing for,” he said.

The Guineas win prompted discussion on further autumn targets, but Cummings would not be drawn on the prospect of pressing on to next month’s G1 Doncaster Mile.

“We make no decisions on race day,” he said. Kementari becomes Lonhro’s 10th G1 winner, joining the outstanding racehorse and stallion Pierro among his sire’s best sons.