Dissident is no certainty to take his place in the 2014 Warwick Stakes field, but jockey Blake Shinn is hoping that he will still get the opportunity to partner the talented entire in the Group 2 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Dissident remains a chance of starting his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the Warwick Stakes this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Trainer Peter Moody is yet to decide whether he will run Dissident on the expected heavy track in Sydney this weekend, but Shinn told RSN this morning that he is confident the son of Sebring will perform well in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes.
“I expect him to run really well,” Shinn said.
“He has come back great and he trialed quiet well.
“I trialed him at Randwick, he had no blinkers on that day and he only does what he has to and he felt really good underneath me, knowing how much improvement would show with the blinkers on.
“He is going into the race pretty fit and forward, which you need to be on a surface going around on Saturday.
“He might be a little unknown on the real heavy conditions, but he has won on a slow and there might be a few scratchings due to the track and it might take a few of the good chances away.”
Shinn has a strong book of rides at Royal Randwick on Saturday and he is set to partner 2014 Spring Racing Carnival contenders Junoob and Gypsy Diamond in their first race starts this preparation.
Junoob is set to contest the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) and Shinn expects that the race will be too short for the progressive stayer, but would not be surprised if the Doomben Cup placegetter produced a strong effort fresh.
“It is a bit sharp for him I would imagine, but he is a very capable horse,” Shinn said.
“He is resuming and these good horses that want ground can often sprint well fresh.
“He is a quality stayer, so who knows he might sprint well fresh.”
Peter Snowden revealed yesterday that Gypsy Diamond has been set for the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 4 and Shinn is set to partner the Not A Single Doubt mare for the first time under race conditions on Saturday.
Shinn was on board Gypsy Diamond in two barrier trials at Royal Randwick and Warwick Farm and based on those performances he believes that the four-year-old will prove very tough to beat in the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1300m).
“She is having her first start for Peter and Paul Snowden,” Shinn said.
“She goes well on wet ground and she trialed well.
“She is a quality galloper that just got beat at Group 1 level last time and she is going great.
“I expect her to go close.”
Gypsy Diamond is currently available at 2014 Toy Show Quality odds of $4.20 and is on top of the betting market for the Group 3 event with Ladbrokes Australia.
