DILMI FINISHING A SUCCESSFUL SEASON WITH A BANG

TWELVE months ago Nacim Dilmi was called up to take over as Domeland’s head trainer on the Central Coast.

Fast forward a year and the expatriate Frenchman is finishing his maiden season with a bang.

A Gosford double yesterday boosted his number of winners to 36; 35 in New South Wales and another in Queensland.

“It’s crazy that in two weeks I will be entering my second season as a trainer,” Wyong-based Dilmi said today.

“The year has gone so quickly, but I’m really pleased with how everything has gone.

“Domeland boss Mr Cheng told me it would be good if I could get 20 winners in my first season.

“We have exceeded that and considering there has been a change of trainers, it’s been a very satisfying outcome.

“Full marks to our staff who all do such a great job.

“You can never be certain but we’ll doing our best to get a similar result or even better next season.”

Dilmi keeps no more than 20 horses in work, and is on track to win his home club’s premier trainer award in his maiden season.

He was successful at Gosford with Difensivo ($7.50) and Stability ($8); both ridden by Lee Magorrian, who also scored on $14 chance Dollars for Newcastle trainer Jason Deamer in between.

Dilmi also had two placegetters; Mane Character ($31), who finished third at Gosford, and Rosehill

Gardens runner-up Koios ($10).

Castelvecchio three-year-old Difensivo claimed the second victory of his 10-start career, defeating Hawkesbury trainer Mick Attard’s Damascus Calling ($41) in the Class 1 Handicap (1000m), and another three-year-old Stability beat fellow Wyong trainer Louise Munce’s Firework ($21) in the CG&E Class 1 Handicap (1200m).

“I agonised between 7 and 7.29am yesterday whether to run Difensivo,” Dilmi said.

“I wasn’t really sure about starting him on heavy ground even though his previous win was on a soft track at Muswellbrook in January.

“But I was influenced by the fact my trackwork rider said Difensivo had worked really well last Tuesday morning.

“It was good to see Stability make it two wins in a row.

“He is putting it all together nicely.”

Dilmi has last year’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final winner and this year’s placegetter Matcha Latte back in work.

“He is sound and will trial at Gosford this week,” he said.

“The plan is to try to win a stakes race with him this preparation, but I’m not sure where.

“He is at his best at 1400m-1600m, and we may look at Melbourne where there appear to be more suitable races at those distances.”

Fellow Wyong trainer Sara Ryan, who successfully won last year’s PMC Final with Matcha Latte before branching out on her own as a public trainer this season, also was a weekend winner.

Ryan took the Maiden Plate (1500m) with Sirius Moss ($4.80), who left hotpot Che Ole ($1.40 favorite) in her wake.

Sirius Moss (Alysha Collett) broke through at her eighth start when she led throughout to comfortably defeat Orange Tsunami ($7) and Che Ole.

The four-year-old mare had not raced when she joined Ryan’s team this season, and was placed on three consecutive occasions before today’s triumph.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, JULY 19, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS