KEMENTARI - NOT YOUR AVERAGE STORY

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 1, 2022

Every horse has its story … but Kementari, who will represent Godolphin’s blue army in The Buffering at Doomben on Saturday, can arguably boast a story that is more interesting than most.

When the son of Lohnro completed a hat trick of Group wins back in March 2018 (in the Group 3 Eskimo Stakes, the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes and the Group 1 Randwick Guineas), it would have been fair to say that it had all come good for the then three-year-old, after previously placing second in the Caulfield Guineas, and that, to some degree at least, Kementari now had the world at his feet.

But the truth is that you never know when you are well off in racing.

After a further nineteen runs and a full twenty months later, Kementari was still looking for his next win. During that time Kementari was also ‘retired from racing,’ taking up stud duties but, there too, his performance fell below all hopes and expectations with that disappointment ultimately prompting his return to racing.

By the time he eventually did win again in the A J Scahill Stakes on December 5, 2020, Kementari had already roundly split the opinion of racing enthusiasts … with many labelling him as a non-winner now, frustratingly pointing to a series of beaten runs (often as favourite).

Punters.com summed up much of the mood at the time by reporting, ‘stud dud, bookies’ pin-up and punter’s nightmare are all catchphrases that have been linked with Kementari’ … but there were those who kept the faith, although the Godolphin decision makers did take their time after the Scahill win before deciding on Kementari’s future … a decision which came down in favour of Kementari continuing his racing career.

Throughout it all Kementari has been labelled a stable favourite and acknowledged as a real character by those who work directly with him.

It was a long haul for those keeping the faith though, but a full ten months after that win in the Scahill, Kementari struck again in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington on October 2, 2021.

A fourth place finish in both the Group 3 Sydney Stakes and The Hunter in subsequent starts helped earn Kementari a crack at The Buffering at Doomben on Saturday, a race which carries a wildcard entry into the $1 Magic Millions Cup.

As a seven-year-old, Kementari is obviously closer to the end of his career than the beginning but, if he can get a winning result over the line on Saturday and gain that place in the Magic Millions Cup … who is to say that, after all the of the twists and turns his career has taken, that Kementari cannot go out with a $1 million race win behind his name.

That would put a big exclamation mark on a career which has persevered against the odds and one which, in general terms, aptly sums up the roller-coaster ride that people sign up for when they get involved in the racing game.

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