James Cummings remains uncertain about Zardozi’s chances ahead of her return at Flemington in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.

Zardozi’s last race saw her finish last in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, but she does have a strong history at Flemington. She has won twice and placed second once at the track, with her last two runs there resulting in a fifth and a fourth-place finish.

Cummings recalls her closing fifth in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) and a brave fourth in the Melbourne Cup (3200m), but is concerned by the challenge of barrier nine in the 11-horse field. He believes it will take expert navigation from jockey Jamie Melham to get Zardozi home second-up.

“I’m not sure whether it’s going to work out perfectly for her from that set-up,” Cummings said, although he is hopeful a neutral ride could see her finish strongly. “She will enjoy getting back to Flemington, and I expect her to run on.”

Meanwhile, Cummings will also saddle Chergui in the Listed TAB We’re On (1000m), aiming to secure a spot in the $1 million VOBIS Platinum Showdown at Caulfield. Chergui ran second on debut before finishing seventh in the Listed Lonhro Plate (1000m) at Randwick. “He’s come on nicely from that last run,” Cummings said, urging fans to forgive the horse for his previous effort.