Godolphin is leaving nothing to chance in its chase for a Group One victory in Melbourne with Kementari.
The colt makes his Melbourne debut in the Group Three Caulfield Guineas Prelude on Sunday en route to next month’s Caulfield Guineas 2017.
Kementari went to Caulfield on Tuesday to gallop and gain experience at the track ahead of his main target.
He finished fourth behind Menari in the Run To The Rose at Rosehill on September 9 before heading to Melbourne.
“We decided to bypass the Golden Rose and focus on Melbourne and get some experience at Caulfield before the Guineas,” trainer James Cummings said.
“If he does a few little things wrong on Saturday we’ll be able to forgive him.
“He certainly gets the opportunity under the set weights and penalties to run a very good race leading up to the Guineas and I’d like to see the horse deliver on some of the promise he started the preparation off with.”
Godolphin will also be represented by Esperance in Sunday’s race after her partnered his stablemate in Tuesday’s gallop.
Esperance recorded two victories before finishing sixth to Catchy in the Danehill Stakes at Flemington on September 16.
“We thought he put in a solid run in the Danehill where he produced one of the fastest closing sectionals of the race after being a bit lost in the first half, racing without cover,” Cummings said.
“But he closed off solidly like a horse looking for further and in his trackwork since then I feel like he’s needing the 1400 metres.”
Kementari is the more fancied of the two runners and is the $5.50 second favourite behind Royal Symphony ($2) while Esperance is a $12 hope.
