2014 Cox Plate hopeful Dissident has returned to trackwork in Brisbane and trainer Peter Moody is happy with his progress as he builds towards the start of his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign.
Dissident won the Royal Randwick Guineas during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Dissident was sent to Queensland for a stint in the spelling paddock after finishing 12th in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12 and has returned to trackwork at Eagle Farm after undertaking pre-training at Washpool Lodge in Aratula.
Moody told AAP that he is unsure how long Dissident will spend in Brisbane before returning to either Sydney or Melbourne, but he confirmed that the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 was the major 2014 Spring Racing Carnival target for the Sebring entire.
“He’s finished his evens phase, and he’s ready to have a working gallop,” Moody said.
“We’ll just play it by ear and we might even give him a trial up there.”
Dissident made his racing debut with a narrow win in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on January 26 in 2013 and he has raced exclusively at black type level in his racing career to date.
He finished an unlucky third in his second race start in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on February 9 and was sent to the spelling paddock after finishing seventh in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at the same venue on February 23.
Dissident started his spring preparation with a second place finish behind Eurozone in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) and was narrowly denied wins in the Group 3 The Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 31 and Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at the same venue on September 14 before making his weight-for-age debut with a sixth place finish in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on September 21.
After finishing fourth in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 12, Dissident was sent to the spelling paddock and returned to racing with another second place finish in the Listed Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 15.
Dissident was finally able to return to winning form in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 1 and a fortnight later scored his maiden Group 1 victory in the Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 15.
The son of Sebring finished a credible sixth behind Criterion in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 29 before his fair performance in the Doncaster Mile.
Dissident is currently available at odds of $41 in the 2014 Cox Plate betting market with Ladbrokes Australia.
