Talented entire Dissident returned to his best form to take out the 2015 Orr Stakes at Caulfield this afternoon.
Dissident recorded his fourth win at the highest level of racing in the 2015 Orr Stakes at Caulfield this afternoon. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell
Jockey Ben Melham was criticised by trainer Peter Moody for his ride on Dissident in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on January 24, but the talented hoop settled the Sebring entire in a lovely position in the early stages of the Orr Stakes.
Promising three-year-old Java took up the running from Entirely Platinum at the 350 metre mark, but Dissident responded well when he was asked for an extra from Melham and he cruised to a fourth Group 1 victory.
Moody was adamant during the week that Dissident would score another Group 1 win in the Orr Stakes and the leading Melbourne trainer was thrilled that the leading stallion prospect was able to deliver him his fifth Orr Stakes victory in the last six years.
“I am very proud of the horse, he has done a tremendous job,” Moody said.
“He is probably the best miler in the country and he is a four-time Group 1 winner.
“It was just good to see him bounce back, he wasn’t happy and wasn’t suited at the Valley, but at seven furlongs and a mile he is nearly unbeatable.
“He is going to make a wonderful stallion.”
Dissident will stand as a stallion at Newgate Farm at the end of the 2014/2015 and Moody revealed that the four-year-old could be retired at any time during his 2015 Autumn Racing Carnival campaign.
Moody said that he does not want to run Dissident on wet tracks this preparation, but he confirmed that the talented miler would contest the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 28 before potentially heading to Sydney for races like the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 4.
“He has made his value and I have to respect the fact that people have invested a lot of many in him,” Moody said.
“It is not a matter of not running him in races that he can’t win, but not running him under conditions he can’t win in and he is not at his best on soft ground.
“He will go forward to the Futurity under the same circumstances in a couple of weeks and then we have races like the George Ryder and the Doncaster if these conditions do present.”
Melham steered Dissident to victory in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival and he was clearly delighted to continue his association with the entire in the Orr Stakes.
The Group 1 winning hoop blamed the Moonee Valley track for the first-up defeat of Dissident and he said that the four-year-old was much better suited by the firm track at Caulfield this afternoon.
“He is a gem to ride this horse,” Melham said.
“The other day at Moonee Valley it was the track and tempo that brought him undone and it just didn’t suit the style of racing that he likes.
“As far as middle distance horse go he is probably the benchmark at the minute and when he is able to get up and dictate on top of the speed he takes a lot of running down.”
Dissident will have the chance to join Moment Of Change (2014), All Too Hard (2013), Typhoon Tracy (2010), Yell (2003), Desert Sky (2001), Primacy (1994) and Vo Rogue (1984) as horses that have completed the Orr Stakes/Futurity Stakes double.
