Frenchman Nicim Dilmi in his third month since securing a trainer’s licence saddled up lightly raced 4-year-old Oceanfront to win Saturday’s TLE Electrical Cessnock Cup (1890m) at the Newcastle Racecourse. On a perfect Spring Day with a hefty crowd the two feature events were the TLE Electrical Jungle Juice Cup and Cessnock Cup.
Oceanfront drew the outside barrier and was last to leave the barriers, but Keagan Latham let him stride up to midfield soon after the start and he sat three wide to near the home turn. The gelding joined the leading group at the top of the straight and he outstayed the challengers to win by .74 lengths. It was Oceanfront second win at Newcastle this month as he bolted in over the 1850 metre trip on this track on October 2.
Dilmi a former Godolphin foreman was excited with the great start he has had to his training career with the powerful Domeland, and he heaped praise on Oceanfront when contacted on Sunday. “It has been a successful 2.5 months since I took over the Domeland Team. We have had five winners from thirty-one starters including the Bathurst and Cessnock Cups. As for Oceanfront he is a promising stayer and he loves the spacious Newcastle track. It was a tough win yesterday as he was slow away and never got on the track. This horse will run 2000 metres, and I will look for a midweek or midway race in Sydney” Dilmi said. The likeable Frenchman has 20 horses stabled on the track at Wyong Racecourse and many more on a 300-acre property on the Central Coast.
Ultra consistent Scone trained 5-year-old Earl Of Bantry brought his outstanding country form to Newcastle when he led all the way to win the 1350 metres TLE Electrical Jungle Juice Cup. Since entering the Cameron Crockett stable Earl Of Bantry the former Victorian has now had seven starts for five wins and two seconds. He won the Denman Cup at Muswellbrook two starts back on October 6.
On Saturday Earl Of Bantry crossed from an outside barrier to lead from soon after the start and he defied the challengers to win by over half a length. Mitchell Bell has ridden the front runner in his past three wins.
The aptly named Straight Sets was a narrow winner in the 900 metre Electra Cables super Maiden Plate after the training partnership of Annabel and Rob Archibald elected to scratch her from Hawkesbury on Thursday. Bred by Kia Ora Stud the 3-year-old filly is a daughter of former smart race mare Sabatini which carried the name of former Argentinian Tennis star. Straight Sets carries the colours of Edwina Throsby who bred the super star sprinter Chautauqua and raised him on the family’s Maitland property. Apprentice Mitch Stapleford who has transferred from Scone to Joe Pride had a great day with a treble while Keagan Latham finished with a double.