Series Final is Music to Nacim’s ears

Melbourne stable foreman Nacim Dilmi says progressive Godolphin colt Bayou Music is ready to take the step up to metropolitan company in Saturday’s Listed Taj Rossi Series Final over 1,600m at Flemington.

With head trainer James Cummings on a short break before his tenure finishes on 1 August, Dilmi will saddle-up the two-year-old son of Street Boss at his fourth race start.

Placed at Mornington and Pakenham in May, Bayou Music carried 58kg to an impressive 1,500m win at Bendigo on 14 June and should relish the extra 100m on a rain-affected surface.

“He was quite dominant at Bendigo last start, so I’m sure he’ll appreciate the mile and wet track,” Dilmi told Radio RSN on Thursday.
“I do like Bayou Music. I think mentally from when he had his first start to where he is now, it feels like he has progressed a lot, very quickly.

“Early in his career he was very dour, laidback, but the more we raced him the better he got.
“Depending on how he runs this week, there’s a nice 1,800m race a couple of weeks later.”

Jamie Melham has the ride and, like at Bendigo, Bayou Music should be allowed to settle back early and come with a late charge.

Stablemates Pereille (Ben Melham) and Inhibitions (Melham) arrived in Melbourne in the early hours of Thursday to prepare for the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final down the straight 1,200m course.

Pereille has been slightly disappointing in three starts back this preparation and needs to improve, while Inhibitions is resuming from a spell and has never won first-up.

“Both horses are in great order, just arrived this morning,” Dilmi said.
“It looks like Inhibitions has grown again, she looks like a five-year-old colt.

“I was very surprised when she got off the truck how big she was.
“She has never won first-up. but she does enjoy the sting out of the track. 

“Pereille has had a few runs now so he is fitter this prep, he’s already had three starts.
“But I think if Inhibitions is going to break that duck of winning first-up, it will be this race.”

Dilmi will also throw the saddle on Cloisters in the Next Gen Sprinters Series Final before the Frosted two-year-old resumes with Ben Allen aboard.

Although unplaced in the $1 million VOBIS Showdown 1,200m at Caulfield on 15 March, Cloisters was only beaten 4.6 lengths after winning a Bendigo maiden a month earlier.

“He’s progressed pretty well, he’s not a big horse so there’s only so much we can tell with him at this stage,” Dilmi said.
“He’s now a gelding, but he’s got ability because we did run him in the Showdown last prep.

“He’s come back a nice horse now and he should run well, but it looks like a tough race.
“We’ll probably see how he goes first-up then decide on his next run.”

At Rosehill Gardens, Contemporary should appreciate a 4.5kg weight drop when he contests the Listed Winter Stakes over 1,400m with Rachel King in the saddle.

His previous third in the Listed Bob Charley at the same track was eye-catching and Contemporary does appreciate the sting out of the ground.

King will also ride Amusing for Godolphin in race four and the resuming Tarpaulin in race five.