DILMI’s PLAN TO LAND A HOME FEATURE

WYONG trainer Nacim Dilmi went close to winning his first home track Gold Cup a few months ago.

His well-bred import Salt Lake City ($15) wasn’t too far off preventing champion trainer Chris Waller from snaring his ninth triumph in the $250,000 Listed feature when runner-up to odds-on favorite Saltcoats.

Now he has set his sights on capturing Wyong Race Club’s richest race – the $500,000 The Lakes (1600m) to be run at the Saturday metropolitan stand-alone meeting on January 10.

The Lakes was introduced to the Wyong carnival in January this year, and Waller won the inaugural running with Waterford.

On the back of posting his 11^th victory since taking over as Domeland’s private trainer on the Central Coast at the beginning of the current season, Dilmi has set Charleroi for next month’s renewal.

The lightly-raced son of Dundeel has won two of his seven starts, and began a new campaign when an excellent fifth with 61kg in an unsuitable 1100m Benchmark 64 Handicap at Hawkesbury on November 27.

He was beaten little more than a length after two nice trials on the Beaumont track and at home at his first start since being runner-up over 1600m at Gosford in July.

Importantly, Charleroi’s two wins to date have been at The Lakes 1600m, at Kembla Grange and Taree, both on rain-affected ground.

“Charleroi has come through his first-up run well, and will start next in a 1400m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Royal Randwick on Saturday,” Dilmi said today.

Dilmi’s 11^th career winner came in the shape of $1.45 hotpot Federal Reserve on Newcastle’s inner Beaumont track yesterday.

Ridden by Mitchell Bell, the three-year-old son of Justify broke through at his fifth start after two placings.

In an all-Wyong finish to the Provincial Maiden Plate (1350m), Federal Reserve defeated Kim Waugh’s Gloria ($4) and Denim Wynen’s Still Rising ($18).

Domeland paid $180,000 for Federal Reserve at last year’s Inglis Classic yearling sale, and the gelding was having his third start for Dilmi after two as a two-year-old in town for previous Domeland trainer Sara Ryan.

“Federal Reserve keeps improving and the stock of his sire Justify get better with age,” Dilmi said.

“It was good to see him get his Maiden out of the way, and I may give him one more run if he continues to do well.

“At the same time, he isn’t the furnished product yet and is still a preparation away from getting there.”

. The current Federal Reserve now has the chance to better the previous horse with the same name (a 23-year-old gelding by Secret Savings).

Her raced 13 times for one win – at Canterbury in April 2005 (ridden by Darren Beadman) at his second start – and four placings.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, DECEMBER 7, 2025