Newcastle preview: Bigger track, perfect alley and proven distance have Nacim Dilmi confident How Much Better will go close
With conditions to suit, Domeland’s head trainer Nacim Dilmi is aiming for a Newcastle double with How Much Better and Federal Reserve.
A downgrade in track conditions at the Gosford meeting two ago left trainer Nacim Dilmi was in two minds about running How Much Better.
The gelding had shown an aversion to wet tracks and Dilmi wasn’t on course so had to rely on information from the stewards at the meeting but was glad he let his charge run.
How Much Better ran one of the best races of his career when he came from last with big run down the outside to go down in a three-way photo when a nose third behind Can’t Touch This and Senshi over an unsuitably short 1200m and on a Soft 5.
“Not only was it a short trip, he’s the type of horse that if it’s a Good 4, he will try a hundred per cent but if it’s a Soft 5, he doesn’t want to have a bar of it,” said Dilmi.
“The track at Gosford was rated a Good 4 but there was continuous rain throughout the day.
How Much Better gets the win after a handful of 2nd placings! 👠@sara_r_racingpic.twitter.com/B6SJnaa0hM
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 31, 2024
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“I was at Kembla that day so I rang the stewards to see if the rating was going to change. They said a few jockeys said it’s still racing like a Good 4.
“I thought of scratching him but I’m glad I didn’t.
“He probably got back a little too far but it wasn’t a bad thing because they went quick enough for him and he was very strong late on the small track.”
Dilmi had two options for the grey this week – a Benchmark 72 on the Kensington (1400m) on Friday or the Benchmark 68 Handicap (1350m).
“I had this race and the Kensington race in mind for his second-up run,” he said.
“Because he was against a stablemate (Piperita) on the Kensington, I thought there was no point taking on each other so I split them up.
“Drawing barrier two on the Beaumont made that decision even easier.
“I think the bigger track, an ideal barrier and the fact he is a winner over the distance suits him better.
“The firm track is perfect and he will go very close to winning.
Dilmi will have just one other runner on the day with Federal Reserve in the Provincial Maiden (1350m) while Bluebird Bay will be scratched and saved for another day.
Federal reserve ran a cheeky race first-up when third behind Snowslide over 1150m on the Beaumont on October 27 before stepping up to 1400m and finishing a long neck second behind Lightness on the Newcastle course proper on November 20.
“I knew from his first-up run to his second-up he would have big improvement because he was stepping up in distance,” Dilmi said.
“Last start, unfortunately he had to do a little bit of extra work to get up outside the leader.
“He never gave up and the winner did have the gun run behind him, but I just felt doing that extra work is what cost him in the end.
“I have put the blinkers on him this time just to sharpen him up a little bit.
“He is back in distance just a touch but on his work and on his two runs this preparation, he will be right there and I think he will be very hard to beat.”
Bluebird Bay finished third behind Doradus at Newcastle last Sunday and while there is nothing wrong with him, Dilmi has elected to wait for a Class 1 and Maiden next week.
“I had a look at the horse on Friday morning and he looks fine but I just thought the six day turn around was a bit short,” he said.
“I am gutted about it because he is a $1.95 favourite but the horse comes first.”
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