Godolphin trainer James Cummings knows race favourite Kementari faces a notable second-up challenge in Saturday’s 2018 Hobartville Stakes but is excited to see how the colt handles the assignment.

Kemenatri leads betting for both Saturday’s Hobartville Stakes and the 2018 Randwick Guineas next month in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.

This season’s Group 2 $400,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) features an 11-starter field full of depth and Lonhro colt Kementari is drawn in barrier six with jockey Glyn Schofield retaining the ride.

The latest Hobartville Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au list the progressive galloper as the clear $2.35 favourite to make it two-from-two this time in.

First-up a fortnight ago Kementari enjoyed a runaway three length win in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

The Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas runner-up from the spring has winning form over 1400m and so is tipped to handle the rise in both class and distance on Saturday.

Like the bulk of the runners in the Hobartville Stakes field, Kementari is heading towards a next-up run on March 10 in the Group 1 $1 million Randwick Guineas (1600m).

He also sits top of the all-in Randwick Guineas 2018 odds online through Ladbrokes.com.au at a quote of $4.50, a position he will retain with success for the punters on Saturday at Rosehill.

“Now he has to step up again at the set weights in the Hobartville,” Cummings told AAP this week.

“There are some very good horses in this race and we are excited to see how he performs on Saturday.”

Second elect in both the Hobartville Stakes betting markets and futures odds on the Randwick Guineas this Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival meanwhile is the Gerald Ryan-trained Trapeze Artist paying $3.80 and $5.50 respectively.

Drawn gate six with Tim Clark in the saddle again, the Snitzel colt also comes off a first-up run for the autumn.

The Golden Rose Stakes champion at the Hobartville Stakes track and distance in an all-the-way upset at big odds by a big four length winning margin last September, Trapeze Artist enjoyed another Rosehill success on February 3 taking out the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m).

Another major player in Hobartville Stakes betting being kept safe by the bookies at $7.50 is the undefeated Chris Waller-trained D’Argento.

Jockey Hugh Bowman partners the So You Think colt from a nice barrier four draw after riding him for two of his three previous wins.

Yet to be tested in black-type company, D’Argento was last seen saluting over 1300m at Randwick on January 20 in a three-years-old Benchmark 76.

Runner-up that day Shumookh subsequently franked the form when narrowly beaten by Alizee for her second in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick last weekend.

D’Argento also impressed in a subsequent trial at the same track finishing third behind Dixie Blossoms and Russian Revolution over 1000m on February 12.

“D’Argento brings fresh form, has a good barrier, good jockey and he’s on his home track so there’s a lot of positives,” Waller told The Daily Telegraph.

To check out the full Hobartville Stakes 2018 odds and weekend racing options head to Ladbrokes.com.au today.