Moody has Cox Plate in his sights for Dissident

Rising four year old Dissident will be aimed towards the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 during the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Dissident, white, blue stripes, holds out El Roca to win the Royal Randwick Guineas.

Dissident, white, blue stripes, holds out El Roca to win the Royal Randwick Guineas. Photo by Steve Hart.

Dissident showed that he was up to Group 1 company with a win in the Group 1 $600,000 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick during the Sydney Autumn Carnival forcing trainer Peter Moody to map out a Spring Carnival weight for age program.

“Is he good enough to be aimed at a Cox Plate? Well, he’s probably got to be, hasn’t he?” Moody told Racing Network.

“Most of the horses around him retired except for Criterion.”

After his win in the Royal Randwick Guineas, Dissident ran into a couple of wet tracks when sixth to Criterion in the Group 1 $500,000 TAB.com.au Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 29 on a slow track followed by a twelfth to Sacred Falls in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 12 on the heavy.

Dissident had always showed plenty of potential in the Spring last year and was narrowly beaten by Chris Waller’s superstar colt Zoustar in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill in September.

Moody persevered in Group 1 company and tested the Sebring colt at weight for age, resulting in a sixth to Streama in the Group 1 $350,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick the following week.

Then at his last run in the Spring Dissident ran fourth to Long John in the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12.

Apart from his Randwick Guineas win in the Autumn, Dissident also took out the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on March 1 at his previous start.

From thirteen starts, Dissident has been in the winner’s stall on three occasions and has collected over $900,000 in prizemoney for his connections.

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.