A STORY BEHIND DILMI’S GREAT IDEA

IT proved to be a great idea!

But the story of Nacim Dilmi’s fruitful decision to bypass his home track meeting last Sunday and go to Taree yesterday with a seven-year-old gelding who was having only his ninth start – and first for him - goes much deeper than that.

Great Idea was having his first start since March when he made a successful return, bolting home by more than three lengths in the Class 3 Handicap (1400m), with Christian Reith aboard.

Domeland paid $150,000 for the son of now deceased international star So You Think as a 2021 Inglis Premier yearling in Melbourne, but didn’t begin racing until well into his five-year-old season last year.

“I don’t know the exact details, but Great Idea was a very sick horse early on and nearly died,” Dilmi revealed today.

“He started off with Bjorn Baker in Sydney when Domeland had horses scattered amongst a number of trainers, but didn’t race for him and then went to Sara Ryan at Wyong."

“Great Idea didn’t race for Sara either, and was transferred to Ben Blay at Muswellbrook. That came about apparently because it was decided to try him in country races, and it was easier to have him trained in the country.”

Great Idea made his debut at Tamworth in March last year when fourth in a 1200m Country Maiden Plate, and won three times for Blay (at Tamworth last July and August, and Tuncurry the following month).

With Domeland’s approval, Dilmi was keen to have a crack with the gelding, who came back to Wyong after racing at Tamworth in late March.

Understandably he sees the strange side of the fact that he is training a son of So You Think (who died in October last year at 19 years of age).

“I knew So You Think well as I started with the late Bart Cummings just after as a three-year-old he won the first of his two Cox Plates at Moonee Valley in 2009,” he said.

“Here we are all these years later, and I have the only one of his progeny in my stable. Christian (Reith) rode Great Idea in his two trials, and was very confident about his chances yesterday."

“I chose not to run him at home on Sunday as I didn’t want to start him first-up on a firming track. He isn’t the soundest horse and his three wins for Ben were on soft and heavy tracks, so it made sense to go to Taree yesterday on a ‘Soft 6’."

“I wasn’t as confident as Christian, but Great Idea was very dominant and has pulled up in good order."

“He is a very well bred horse as his pedigree includes a French Oaks winner on his dam’s side, and I’m sure he will manage 1800m to 2000m.”

Great Idea was Dilmi’s second winner in the new season (and career 38th), but he won’t be trying to go one better (Salt Lake City ran second last year) in his home track Cup (2100m) on Friday.

“I did nominate him, because the club was a bit short on entries (they were extended until 11am today), but he won’t be running,” he said.

“Instead he will go to a benchmark race on Friday, and I’ll put either winkers or blinkers on him if he runs in the 64 Handicap at 1350m.”

Dilmi is pleased with last year’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final winner Matcha Latte’s progress since his excellent first-up third in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) at Royal Randwick on August 22, and will trial him at Rosehill Gardens next Tuesday.

“I was initially thinking about going next to the Group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) at Newcastle on September 18, but the more I see of the horse and think about it, the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick the following day seems the better option,” he said.

The Ritchie winner is exempt from both ballot and penalty for the $1.5m Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at the same track on October 3. STORY BY JOHN CURTIS, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026. PIC BRADLEY PHOTOS