DILMI’S CUP CABINET STARTING TO EXPAND

WINNING country Cups is becoming familiar with Wyong’s newest trainer Nacim Dilmi.

Though only a little shy of three months into his role as Domeland’s head trainer, he has already won two – and with a better slice of luck it would read three.

Dilmi landed the Bathurst Cup (1800m) on September 14 with Aix En Provence, and added the Cessnock Cup (1850m), now run at Newcastle, to his trophy cabinet yesterday.

Ridden by provincial racing’s leading jockey Keagan Latham, Oceanfront ($5.50) overcame his outside barrier to defeat Black Run ($9) and Highborn Harry ($6).

In the process, he made it two wins on end on the spacious Broadmeadow circuit, and Dilmi now has to decide whether to chase a hat-trick with him in the near future or give him a break.

“I’ll be guided by his progress in the next few days before making up my mind,” he said today.

“Oceanfront did a good job yesterday from his wide barrier and fought back strongly when challenged in the straight.”

A $130,000 purchase for Domeland at the 2023 Inglis Premier yearling sale in Melbourne, Trapeze Artist four-year-old Oceanfront has now won three of his 10 starts.

But whilst Dilmi was obviously delighted to win the Cessnock Cup, he was understandably disappointed not to go home also with the Jungle Juice Cup (1350m) a race earlier.

Rebel Rhapsody ($3.40 second favorite), another Trapeze Artist four-year-old, was a luckless fourth to $2.80 favorite Earl Of Bantry.

The gelding drew the inside barrier, and could not secure clear running until the closing stages and was beaten only one and a half lengths.

“Rebel Rhapsody is not the easiest horse to ride and Keagan (Latham) did a good job on him, but wasn’t able to get room when he needed to in time for the horse to wind up.

“It was very unfortunate.

“Both he and Oceanfront are heading in the right direction.”

Dilmi has won five races since he took over the Domeland operation on the Central Coast from his predecessor Sara Ryan (now training publicly at Wyong), and is happy with how things are going, but keen to also make his mark in town.

“Of course I want to win races in the city, but won’t take horses there just for the sake of running them,” he said.

Aix En Provence’s Bathurst Cup success carried Big Dance eligibility, and Dilmi will trial him over 1050m at Royal Randwick tomorrow, with his Cup winning rider Andrew Adkins aboard.

“I gave Aix En Provence 10 days after winning at Bathurst before putting him back into work,” Dilmi said.

“Realistically, I feel he would be better placed in the Little Dance at Randwick on November 4 rather than the Big Dance.

“But we will have to wait and see which race he is put in when the fields are declared.”

Both are run over the Randwick “mile, but the Big Dance at $3m is worth considerably more than the $750,000 Little Dance.

Whilst Domeland’s 2023 Big Dance winner Attractable is in well-earned retirement, this year’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final winner Matcha Latte has begun pre-training.

However, there are no set plans with the gelding.

“Matcha Latte has had his share of injury problems, and we’ll see how he comes up this time,” Dilmi said.

“It’s early days but so far so good.”

. Fellow Wyong trainer Kim Waugh and Kembla Grange co-trainers Mitch Beer and George Carpenter also were winners at Newcastle.

Waugh took the Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (900m) with Shambretta (Keagan Latham) at $18 from Hawkesbury trainer Marc Chevalier’s Kev’s Girl ($31) and Gosford trainer Angela Davies’ $2.70 favorite Leantothemoon.

The Beer-Carpenter combination clinched a first-up victory with recent acquisition Gunroom ($4.40), ridden by apprentice Mitch Stapleford, who upset $1.75 favorite Oakfield Saturn.

RacingNSW stewards outed three jockeys - Latham, Mitchell Bell and Stapleford (all rode winners) -on alleged careless riding charges.

Story John Curtis, October 20, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos