Now without a runner in The Lakes Mile at Wyong, its French-born Nacim Dilmi who has Charleroi as the $3.30 favourite for the Bronte Simpson Memorial Midway.
Coming off a credible third over the same 1600m at Randwick, Charleroi will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy on 57kg, and starting from Barrier 5 of 15 runners, also has two prior fifth placings.
Now certainly to improve on his 9-2.2.2 career record he has won twice over 1600m when trained by Sara Ryan for Domeland, with the 4yo Dundeel gelding being a $230,000 Inglis Easter Yearling.
Also, with the $34 pick Humanity taking up her position in the Bronte Simpson Midway with Reece Jones jumping from Gate 10 with 56.5kg, he’s first up from 30 Nov. when third at Rosehill.
Having won twice up to 2400m in Britain the, the 6yo is a 240,000 Gns Tattersalls graduate by the Roaring Lion from the winning Arch mare Cheriearch, a half-brother to Group 3 Welwal.
And with Nacim Dilmi having both Charleroi and Salt Lake City bypass the Saturday’s principal event The Lakes Mile, its Salt Lake City who is $27 for the Domeland Town Plate of 1350m.
Now coming off an 18 week break, Salt Lake City was a credible last start second in the Wyong Cup that showed he has adopted to the Australian style, having won twice at 1600m in Ireland.
A hansom 6yo bay gelding owned and bred by Coolmore Ireland, and having won the Ruby Stakes is by the great Galileo from the dual Gr2 winning Kyllachy mare Heartache, a 1.3m Gns mare.
Now in his fifth month as private trainer for Domeland, Nacim came to Wyong following a highly rewarding eight years with James Cummings at Godolphin that produced the likes of Anamoe.
A graduate of the prestigious Gouvieux Academy in Chantilly, he first worked in Britain on completing his apprenticeship in 2009 at Criquette Head’s outstanding 250-horse Chantilly stable.
And deciding to skip another UK winter, his planned six month visit has now turned into an Australian citizenship, working first with the legendary Gai Waterhouse at Tulloch Lodge in Randwick.
The 5yo Shalaa gelding Aix En Provence provided Nacim with his first race winner, by scoring over 1600m at Gosford before taking out the Bathurst Cup two weeks later ridden by Alan Atkins.
Now with 14 winners, 12 seconds from 81 runners, Nacim most recently had I Am Carrot score back-to-back victories over 1350m and 1400m at Wyong and Hawkesbury on 14 December.
Earlier it was the 3yo filly Probability Theory who also recorded back-to-back victories for Domeland, having scored twice over 1300m at Hawkesbury, the second ridden by Mitch Stapleford.
And with Nacim Dilmi proving his ability to successfully back-up his winning horses, it was Oceanfront being three-from-three with the Randwick Midway on 4 November, to be his first city win.
Today situated on 260-acres at Kulnura on the NSW Central Coast, with stables at Wyong Racecourse, Domeland features a 3000m grass track that enables more than 40 horses to be in work.
However, the success of Domeland’s first private trainer Sara Ryan certainly placed the Wyong based Domeland on the upper with over 50 race wins and almost $6.5 million in prizemoney.
Coming to Domeland with no background in racing following her departure from biochemical engineering studies, Sara was offered the trainer’s position purely on her fine horsemanship.
Also building a reputation for back-to-back successes, Vegas Outlaw was four-from-four including a Randwick Midway, while Attractable won the Big Dance having broken-educated him.
At The Championships in April, Sara rehabilitated the injury-prone Matcha Latte to win the Provincial Midway Final, having earlier won the Newcastle Provincial Championship Qualifier.
