Humidor has added to his impressive resume by winning the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) by the bob of a head at Caulfield this afternoon.
The Teofilo gelding came within strides of beating Winx in last year’s Cox Plate and he continued to impress through the recent Autumn Carnival.
He was fair to the line first-up two weeks ago and was forgotten in Memsie Stakes betting, jumping as a $21 shot this afternoon.
Damian Lane elected to settle the horse off the early pace of Jungle Edge, Dollar For Dollar and Vega Magic, who all went hell for leather on-pace on the outset.
Enjoying a quiet ride on the rails, Lane was offered a run at the top of the straight and poked through, allowing the horse to go through his gears before asking for an extra effort. Humidor led a wall of horses in running down Vega Magic; beating Kementari on the line.
Caulfield Cup favourite Kings Will Dream was again outstanding, running through traffic to finish an agonizingly-close third.
“He’s come such a long way in these last couple of years and he’s just a weapon,” Lane said after the Memsie Stakes.
“I believe the Makybe (Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes, 1600m) will be his next run and he’ll be ultra-competitive and hard to beat in that as well.”
Darren Weir was thrilled with Humidor’s performance and Memsie Stakes win and revealed the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in November as his likely major campaign target.
“He’s a great horse, he’s been a beauty for a long time,” Weir said.
“I said to Damian when I legged him on, be strong late because he’ll be strong late. He got the right run and it’s a big thrill, that. It’s great.
“I thought he’d made the right progression. We rely on the boys to gallop them and said he was on track.
“I think the key to Humidor is that he’s doing things better. Last year he would have put the head on the side and made it difficult, but his two runs this time in he’s done everything right.
“I think the goal is going to be, I think it’s now called the Emirates – the race that Tosen Stardom won last year. It’s a great race for him – 2000m at Flemington and dodge Winx.”
In being crowned the 2018 Memsie Stakes winner, Humidor has extended his career record to eight wins and nine minors from twenty-eight starts.