MATCHA LATTE READY TO RESUME IN CARRINGTON STAKES

LAST year’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final hero Matcha Latte is back and raring to go – but unlikely to defend his “title”.

Matcha Latte’s Wyong trainer Nacim Dilmi is delighted with the gelding’s progress, and has given him two trials in preparation for his approaching resumption.

Lightly-raced because of injury dramas in the past, the now six-year-old has raced only 17 times for three wins and four placings.

Matcha Latte won the $1m PMC Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick in April last year for fellow Wyong trainer Sara Ryan after clinching a berth by capturing the Wild Card (1400m) at Newcastle the previous month.

The Randwick victory was a triumph for previous Domeland trainer Ryan, who did such a terrific job with the gelding.

Ryan and her staff nursed Matcha Latte back to good health after he suffered a serious tendon injury in 2023 and then, following a close second to talented Victorian Here To Shock in the Group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) at Newcastle in September 2024 after a long absence from the track, bled in a Randwick trial two and a half weeks later.

After winning the PMC Final, Matcha Latte finished fourth in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m), and was spelled after a trip to Brisbane for the Group 3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben when he drew poorly and ran eighth to subsequent Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap winner War Machine.

Dilmi, who took over the Domeland operation at the beginning of the current season and boosted his winner’s tally o 16 with a double at Gosford’s twilight meeting last Friday, is looking forward to getting Matcha Latte back to the races.

Ash Morgan, who partnered the son of international star Maurice in his successful autumn campaign last year, hasbeen aboard in both the gelding’s recent trials – at Hawkesbury on December 15 and Newcastle’s inner Beaumont track last Thursday.

He was narrowly beaten by unbeaten Newcastle filly Cool Waters in the 1000m Open heat last week.

“So far everything is going well with Matcha Latte,” Dilmi said today.

“He is still eligible for another Provincial-Midway Championships series, but it’s unlikely we will go down that path with him.

“Matcha Latte is due to resume in the Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday week.”

Previously run over shorter distances, the Carrington was increased to 1400m in 2015 and has remained there since.

Leading provincial stables have won two of the last three runnings of the race.

Newcastle’s Kris Lees won the Carrington in 2022 with Special Reward (Glyn Schofield) at $9.50, and Kembla Grange father and son Rob and Luke Price were successful with Cuban Royale (Brock Ryan) at $14 the following year.

Hong Kong-based Mark Newnham, who prepared Matcha Latte at the start of his career, won the 2018 Group 3 Newcastle Newmarket with Lanciato after he won the Carrington that year.

The race was scrapped last year when it was deemed there were insufficient acceptors.

Dilmi said beaten favorite Charleroi ($2.25) had pulled up well after finishing third to fellow Wyong trainer Damien Lane’s Oakfield Saturn in the Bronte Simpson Memorial Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) at yesterday’s home track The Lakes meeting.

“He got held up behind a tiring horse, and did his best work late,” Dilmi said.

“We’ll monitor him over the next few days before deciding where we head next.”

Salt Lake City also has pulled up well after his resumption in the Domeland Town Plate Benchmark 100 Handicap (1350m).

Dilmi considered kicking off the import in the $500,000 The Lakes (1600m) for a lengthy summer-autumn campaign, but opted for the shorter race; a wise move as it turned out given the blazing hot conditions.

Fellow Wyong trainer Tracey Bartley was the sole provincial winner at yesterday’s corresponding Kembla Grange fixture.

Bartley’s odds-on favorite Cuban Cigar ($1.85) just overhauled leading Kembla Grange trainers Rob and Luke Price’s Satness ($7) in the Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m) to post his second victory at only his fourth start.

Yet another Wyong trainer Allan Kehoe left Coffs Harbour a winner as well today after taking the Super Maiden Handicap (1305m) with $2.70 favorite Indiana Dream, ridden by Newcastle apprentice Shannen Llewellyn.

Kembla Grange trainer Paul Murray also was in the winning list at Nowra with $12 chance Gooloo Bucky (Brock Ryan) in the Class 3 Benchmark 66 Handicap (1200m).

STORY JOHN CURTIS, JANUARY 11, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS