Dilmi to take the reins at Domeland
Domeland Racing has confirmed that former Godolphin foreman Nacim Dilmi will take over as head trainer of its Central Coast-based private operation at the beginning of the 2025/26 racing season, following the departure of Sara Ryan.
A long-standing presence in Australian racing, Domeland has recorded success over more than two decades, including Group 1 winner Northern Drake (Varick) in 1999 and Attractable’s (I Am Invincible) victory in the $3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick in 2023. In recent years, the stable has broadened its broodmare band and invested in well-credentialed yearlings, with an aim to further build its profile within the industry.
Dilmi, a French-born horseman who began his career as a jockey in France, brings extensive experience to the role. After relocating to Australia more than a decade ago, he worked with leading stables including Gai Waterhouse and Bart Cummings before joining James Cummings at Godolphin.
“I rode a handful of races and because of weight I was forced into early retirement,” Dilmi told ANZ News.
“After that, I worked in France for a little while before I moved to the UK for three years. Then I wanted a change so I came to Australia for six months… and that was about 15 years ago. I started with Gai Waterhouse, then I started with James in June, 2011. But at the time, James was the foreman for his grandad Bart.”
During his time with Godolphin, Dilmi gained significant exposure to high-level racing, particularly after stepping into the Melbourne foreman role in January, 2024.
“When I was based in Sydney with Godolphin, I came to Melbourne for the Spring Carnivals and we had Anamoe and lots of good horses. I became Godolphin’s foreman in Melbourne in January, 2024 and since then, Cylinder won the Newmarket, Cascadian won his second Australian Cup and Tom Kitten won the All–Star Mile.”
The opportunity to branch out and begin his own career as a trainer comes at the perfect time for Dilmi, after the announcement that Godolphin would move to a public model in the new season, and as James Cummings makes the move to train in Hong Kong.
“The timing of it all worked out perfectly. When it was announced that Sara Ryan was leaving Domeland, I hadn’t really considered applying for the role at that point,” Dilmi said.
“Around the same time, James mentioned that he’d been approached by Hong Kong. Nothing had been decided, everything was still up in the air.
“When he flew over to Hong Kong just for talks, I told him I was thinking about applying for the Domeland position. I just wanted to be upfront with him, and he said, ‘Go for it.’ Regardless of if James was going to Hong Kong or not, he told me to do it. He told me that if I wanted to be a trainer, it was a great opportunity and the right leg-up.
“A few weeks later, he let me know he was heading to Hong Kong, so it really did all fall into place at the right time.”
Domeland Racing is owned by Mr YP Cheng, a long-time racing supporter from Hong Kong with more than 30 years involvement in the sport across various Asian jurisdictions. A successful global businessman with a background in children’s toys, lighting, property development and other investments, Mr Cheng has previously served as a director of the Macau Jockey Club and has maintained a deep personal interest in the thoroughbred.
In recent years, he has renewed Domeland’s focus in Australia with a commitment to building an elite racing and breeding operation, an approach that closely aligns with the environment Dilmi is familiar with.
“It’s a very similar model to Godolphin, but not on such a massive scale. They’ve got boxes at Wyong and a private property in Kulnura, which is about 20 minutes inland from Wyong,” he said.
“They spell their own horses and things like that, it’s very similar to Godolphin. So for me, it wouldn’t be too much of a massive change in regards to the setup of how things work. I just need to know their horses and things like that.
“I think they’ve got about 45 on the books. But that’s not including the horses who aren’t named and all their yearlings. They have between 25 to 30 in work at a time, so it’s not a huge number, but it’s a good start.”
Dilmi is under no illusions about the scale of the task ahead, but sees clear parallels between Domeland’s ambitions and the structure he has become accustomed to at Godolphin. He believes the operation is well-positioned to grow, with a strong foundation already in place and a clear long-term vision from owner Mr YP Cheng.
“They’ve only won one Group 1, and that was many moons ago with a horse called Northern Drake, and I think after that they went very quiet,” Dilmi said.
“They had their horses spread around with multiple trainers and it probably didn’t work out so they went back to the private model and employed Sara Ryan. So I’d say the goal would be to become something like Godolphin, to get bigger and to win more stakes races.”
While the move signals the end of a significant chapter in his career, Dilmi is eager to embrace the opportunity and hit the ground running when he officially takes charge next month.
“I am very excited, but at the same time, it’s coming to an end at Godolphin, so it is a sad time, but we’ve all got to move on. And luckily for me this whole thing came at the perfect timing,” he said.
“We finish up with Godolphin at the end of the month, and I start with Domeland on August 4, so it’ll be a quick turnaround. We’ll head straight back to New South Wales and get started not long after, so I’m really looking forward to it.”