Dissident’s future in the balance

Connections of valuable stallion Dissident will decide if the four year old continues racing or retires ahead of his first season at stud after finishing third in the Group 1 $400,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last Saturday.

Dissident could be retired following his third in the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.

Dissident could be retired following his third in the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.

The Peter Moody trained Dissident was sent out the $1.45 favourite for the weight for age event and after sharing the lead with Gai Watehouse’s Group 1 winning  mare Driefontein, faded in the straight to finish third behind Suavito and Smokin’ Joey.

Moody reported that the Sebring stallion was found to have mucus in his airways when scoped after the race which was the cause of his defeat.

“That obviously took a fair bit off Dissident’s performance,” Moody told TVN.

“We scoped him and it gave us an explanation. He didn’t bleed, but had a fair bit of mucus down his airway.”

“We’ll treat him for a few days and knock this on the head, scope him again to make sure it’s right and then we’ll have a talk to see whether we look to Sydney or we look to retire him or look at other options.”

Moody will meet with connections to in the near future to work out if the four time Group 1 winner continues his racing career at the Sydney Autumn Carnival or retires immediately and prepares for the new breeding season at Newgate Farm in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.

“The owners will consider the options during the week and they include retirement or pressing on to Sydney, with the proviso that there are not wet tracks,” Moody said.

Dissident scored the first of his four career Group 1 wins in the $600,000 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Carnival and then added the $400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield  and the $400,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in the early part of the Spring Carnival.

The high class weight for age performer then went on to win Group 1 number four when he beat Entirely Platinum and Mourinho in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 14.

Dissident is among the nominations for two of the feature races over ‘The Championshps’ at Randwick, the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 4 as well as the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on the second day, April 11.

 

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.