These Melbourne Trainers sure like the Beach!

[Chief Stipe]

 

Trekking (Winterbottom) and Kementari (Railway) enjoyed a nice recovery session at the beach this morning in Perth!

 

[Chief Stipe]

Godolphin’s travelling foreman Nacim Dilmi could be forgiven for feeling like a nomadic gypsy given how he has spread his wings this year – but believes a change of scenery for Kementari will bring out the best in the enigmatic galloper on Saturday.

Dilmi and wife Lauren are currently in Perth with Kementari who will contend for the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, and Trekking who is the favourite for the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes seven days later.

The Perth trip is the third time this year French horseman Dilmi has had to quarantine due to the COVID pandemic as he has also been on the ground for Godolphin during the Adelaide and Brisbane carnivals.

He has seen a few changes of scenery in that time but believes the one currently being experienced by Kementari will bring out the best in the galloper who has not won since his Randwick Guineas triumph in March 2018.

Many punters have sacked James Cummings-trained Kementari, who warmed up for a Railway Stakes tilt with a third-placed finish behind fellow Railway contender Kay Cee in the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes at Ascot on November 7.

But Kementari, along with stablemate Trekking, has now spent extra time frolicking in the waters of Perth’s beautiful Kwinana Beach and Dilmi believes that has made a big difference to the six-year-old.

 

 

“Kementari has spent a lot of time in Sydney and Melbourne but coming here to Perth for him is a completely different environment,” Dilmi said.

“The weather is great and he absolutely loves going to the beach here, he just power walks through the water.

“We can’t take them to the beach as often in Sydney and Melbourne and for Kementari’s mind I think some extra beach time has done him really well.

“The improvement in him since he had his first run in Perth is amazing, he looks magnificent and he has improved coat wise and how he is in his mind is also much better.”

Godolphin travelling foreman Nacim Dilmi.

 

 

Kementari is stabled with Perth trainer Neville Parham – the Godolphin galloper is within eyeshot of one of his main Railway Stakes rivals Kay Cee.

The Blue Army has taken extra confidence by a statement from wealthy Perth owner Bob Peters.

Peters owns Railway Stakes favourite Inspirational Girl ($3.40) but has declared Kementari ($10) is the horse to beat from barrier one.

“It was quite interesting that Bob Peters got interviewed on radio and he was saying Kementari was the horse to beat,” Dilmi said.

“For someone like Bob Peters, who has won this race the last two years, to say that was terrific.”

Depending on how Kementari races this Saturday, there is a chance he could contest the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) a fortnight later.

Dilmi hasn’t been home to Sydney much this year and at the end of the Perth carnival he is set to fly straight to Queensland to prepare Godolphin’s horses for the rich Gold Coast Magic Millions carnival in January.

“I’ve been away from home so much, it’s lucky I’ve got no kids and no pets,” Dilmi quipped.