Dissident confirmed his place as one of the country’s most exciting gallopers with a barnstorming win in Saturday’s Group One Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Resuming after an autumn campaign that took in victory in the Group One Royal Randwick Guineas, Dissident showed a blistering turn of foot in the straight to beat a crack field and emerge as one of the spring’s brightest prospects.
There were loud cheers from various points of the stands and mounting yard from a massive group of connections. Dissident has no fewer than 46 part owners!
Trainer Peter Moody said the exciting son of Sebring would now head to the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in a fortnight.
“He’s a high class colt and the world’s his oyster now,” Moody said. “That was a top class field and he put them to the sword and really got the job done.”
“He’s mixed it with the best of his age and everyone’s had a doubt on that form but he’s taken on the good old weight-for-age horses here and he’s dead-set put them to the sword.”
“He deserves his place in any weight-for-age field in the country on the back of that performance,” Moody added.
Jockey Ben Melham has Dissident in an ideal position tracking the leaders for much of the race before reeling in Sydney visitor Sweet Idea to hit the front and draw clear to win by two and a quarter lengths.
The win was the sixth at Group One level for Melham and not surprisingly he was all smiles after the race and in a scary thought for the connections of potentials rivals expected good improvement from the four-year-old.
“They ran along at a decent clip today and that suits his style. He’s a big, gross horse and I’m sure there’s improvement to come from him.”
Moody, who is a part owner, purchased Dissident from the draft of Widden Stud for $210,000 at the 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Dissident is a true Magic Millions product. Not only was he sold at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale – but so were his sire (Sebring) and dam (Diana’s Secret).
Sebring, a son of More Than Ready, was the champion juvenile of Australia of his year – winning five races at two including two legs of the Triple Crown highlighted by his thrilling Golden Slipper success.
Already at stud Sebring has proven an outstanding success with 10 high class stakes winners including Criterion, Bring Me The Maid, Believe Yourself, Clifton Red, Kiss a Rose, Pressing, Bring a Ring, Bring Something, Interspersed and Dissident.
Dissident’s dam Diana’s Secret, a daughter of Anabaa, won two races in Melbourne and earned important black type with a runner-up finish in the listed Hill Smith Stakes in Adelaide at three.
She is a half sister to the Peter Pan Stakes runner-up and four time winner Heir Affair and hails from the same family as group winners Vietnam, A Palace Gossip,World News and Jonbalena.
Winner: Dissident
Breeding: Sebring-Diana’s Secret (Anabaa)
Race: MRC Memsie Stakes G1 (1400m)
Sold for: $210,000
Sale: 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Widden Stud
Buyer: Moody Racing
Earnings: $1,156,200
Owner(s): PG Moody, One for the Boys Syndicate, OP Egan, Whineinrome Syndicate, Mrs A Hunt, S J Hunt, Mrs CA Corcoran, Eaglerise Syndicate, RK Hamer, JA Mazzarella & M Notarfrancesco
Trainer: Peter Moody (Caulfield)
