MATCHA LATTE ON TRIAL FOR EPSOM HANDICAP

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MATCHA Latte will have a crack at the Group 1 Epsom Handicap if he finishes “Top 3” at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Wyong trainer Nacim Dilmi says the dual venue acceptor will line up in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) unless there are a heap of scratchings from tomorrow’s Group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) at Newcastle.

“Matcha Latte (Ash Morgan) has drawn the rails at Randwick and barrier 13 at Newcastle, and he has 3kg less at Randwick,” Dilmi said today.

“He is an on pace horse, and I’ have been concerned about having to race three wide in the Cameron from his awkward draw.”

Matcha Latte won last year’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick for his previous trainer Sara Ryan, and ran third in the same race earlier this year during Dilmi’s first season preparing 36 winners for Domeland from his Wyong base.

The lightly-raced seven-year-old gelding ran an excellent first-up third in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) at Randwick on August 22, and has since finished fourth in a tick-over 1030m trial at Rosehill Gardens on September 8.

“I’m very happy with Matcha Latte,” Dilmi said.

“I can’t fault him at all.

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“Obviously he is up against some good horses, including Group 1 winners such as Headley Grange and Private Eye, in the Bill Ritchie.

“But they have plenty of weight, and we have 53kg from the inside barrier.

“If Matcha Latte can finish in the top three, then we’re entitled to give him his chance in the Epsom.

“Otherwise there are options to go to Melbourne for some stakes races.”

The $1.5m Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) will be run at Randwick on October 3, where the gelding has 50kg.

The Bill Ritchie winner automatically becomes exempt from both an Epsom ballot and penalty.

Whilst Matcha Latte will miss the Cameron, Dilmi plans to run both River Jordan (Christian Reith) and Riga (apprentice Shannen Llewellyn) in the CG&E Maiden Plate (1400m) at Newcastle tomorrow.

Blinkers go on River Jordan, and it’s the opposite; coming off Riga.

“River Jordan is lightly raced with only two starts, and did a lot wrong first-up when fourth as favorite at Taree,” Dilmi said.

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“I withdrew him from Illawarra Grange today, and feel sure he can be very effective tomorrow ridden back and given the chance to finish his race off.

“Riga also ran fourth at Wyong when resuming, and raced keenly, hence the blinkers being removed.”

Whilst a resuming topweight Federalist, a Group 2 runner-up last time in March at Rosehill Gardens, is the odds-on favorite, Dilmi considers both his horses have chances.

. Trainer Matthew Smith has decided to put ear muffs on his Newcastle Gold Cup hotpot Aethelwulf, but they will be removed at the barrier.

Smith obviously wants to keep the talented young stayer as settled as possible before he takes on open company for the first time.

Aethelwulf was at $1.50 with TAB.com.au at midday, with last start Randwick winner So You Are ($3.40) considered his only serious threat.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS