Leading Melbourne trainer Peter Moody is considering backing up last Saturday’s Group 1 winner Dissident in the Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield this weekend.
Dissident, white and blue, holds out Fawkner to win the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Moody is keen to map out the best path to the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 after Dissident won his second Group 1 in as many starts by beating Fawkner in the Group 1 $400,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
Dissident proved himself to be the form weight for age performer so far this Spring Carnival after winning first up two weeks ago in the Group 1 $400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Last Saturday’s win shot Dissident up the market order for the Cox Plate and he is now marked at $11 with Ladbrokes.com.au with Fawkner being promoted the top spot at $10.
Moody is yet to cement in place a plan for Dissident’s Cox Plate assault, but a start in the Underwood Stakes on the weekend is a possibility.
“We could back up in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday,” Moody told the Herald Sun.
“Or we could gallop at Caulfield between races next Saturday and then have the same program.
“The other option may be to run in the Rupert Clarke (1400m) in two weeks and use that as a barrier trial. He would be highly competitive in that.”
Moody had his doubts if Dissident would be competitive over the 2040m of the Cox Plate but the Sebring stallion’s on pace style of racing and his never say die attitude that he displayed last Saturday all point towards him handling the extra distance.
“His ability to race on the speed serves him well with his final sprint,” Moody said.
A good performance by Dissident in the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4 under set weights and penalties over 2000m would be a good pointer towards the Cox Plate while the Group 1 $400,000 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 11 could also be an option..
Adelaide trained Happy Trails won last year’s Turnbull Stakes and went on to be beaten a whisker by Shamus Award in the Cox Plate three weeks later while tough Kiwi weight for age star Ocean Park won the 2012 Caulfield Stakes before going on to win the Cox Plate a fortnight later.
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