RIVALS CHASING STAND-ALONE BREAKTHROUGH

THURSDAY: April 30, 2026: BLAKE Ryan has had precious few chances to win a race at his home track’s feature stand-alone meeting.

In his maiden season of training, Nacim Dilmi will have his first runners at Saturday’s 10-race metropolitan program.

And the respective Hawkesbury and Wyong trainers will be rivals in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m) as they chase a Hawkesbury stand-alone breakthrough.

Strawberry Impact (Tommy Berry) will be Ryan’s sole representative at the meeting, whilst Viewpoint (Nash Rawiller) will be the first of Dilmi’s three runners.

Both horses are catching the eye of punters, with Viewpoint the well-supported $3.50 favorite, and Strawberry Impact on the second line of betting at $7.

Ryan says he gave some thought to running Strawberry Impact (who has won only one race but been placed nine times, seven of them seconds) in The Lawn Shed Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m), but opted to stay with the slightly shorter race.

“Strawberry Impact had only the one trial before we had a crack at the Provincial-Midway Championships,” he said today.

“He just failed to qualify when third in the Kembla Grange heat (1400m) on March 21, then just peaked the last bit when sixth in a midweek Benchmark 78 Handicap (1600m) at Warwick Farm on April 15.

“Because of that, I decided not to go to the 1800m at his third run this campaign.

“He can go to 1700m Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap at the Scone carnival a fortnight later, and then eventually to 2000m.

“Even though he has won only once, Strawberry Impact has been very consistent.

“Some of his second placings have been circumstantial. He has run into better horses a few timers and also to a bottomless track, which he gets through but doesn’t really like.

“Saturday’s program is a beauty, including the Midway Benchmark 72, but we’re there to run well.”

Ryan also sends Midori Giant, who has raced well for him at two starts since returning from Hong Kong, back to Newcastle on Saturday.

Jay Ford will ride the gelding in the Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap (1900m) at the provincial meeting.

Whereas Strawberry Impact has drawn barrier 11 at home, Dilmi’s Viewpoint has fared even worse (the extreme outside in a capacity line-up of 16).

But the trainer says he has the right man aboard in Nash Rawiller to guide the lightly-raced Wootton Basset three-year-old (two wins from four starts), who is on trial for a Brisbane winter carnival trip.

Rawiller partnered the gelding in his first-up victory at Hawkesbury on April 14 in a CG&E Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m).

“Nash was pleased with Viewpoint that day, and was happy to stay with him,” Dilmi said.

“Viewpoint is heading in the right direction, and Nash won’t panic from his outside draw.

“Our horse has to be competitive on Saturday if he is to head north.

“He has trained on really well since his first-up win at Hawkesbury, and races well there, having been successful at both his starts.”

Dilmi also runs both Aix En Provence (Chad Schofield) and Oceanfront (apprentice Anna Roper) in the 1800m Benchmark 78 Handicap.

“Aix En Provence is fitter following two good runs since resuming, whilst Oceanfront is second-up and jumping from 1300m, having missed a second run recently,” Dilmi said.