Triple Group 1 winner Dissident is one step closer to a return to racing after he produced a strong effort in a jump out at Sandown this morning.
Dissident is set to return to racing in the 2015 Orr Stakes at Caulfield on February 14. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Dissident contested the sixth jump out of the morning over 800 metres and he jumped from the gates strongly before being settled in fourth position just behind the leaders in the early stages of the unofficial trial.
He was shuffled towards the back of the field, which included the likes of Shamal Wind and Politeness, as a number of quality sprinters were asked for an extra effort, but he was still able to hit the line fairly and finish within a couple of lengths of the winner in the jump out that was run in the quick time of 47.18 seconds.
Dissident received a three month ban after he bled during the running of the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes in just his second race start over 2000 metres at Caulfield on October 11 and he is very unlikely to be tested over that distance again; with the Group 1 Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 14 and the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 28 set to be his early autumn goals before he heads to Sydney for The Championships.
Connections are to decide whether Dissident will have a tune-up run for the Orr Stakes in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on January 24, but trainer Peter Moody indicated that a first-up tilt at the Group 1 event was the most likely option for the Sebring entire.
Dissident has raced at the highest level since he made his racing debut with a narrow win in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield in January of 2013 and he stamped himself as one of the best horses in the country during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
The four-year-old started his campaign with a most impressive win in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30 and he held off Fawkner to take out the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 13.
Dissident was allocated the top weight of 58 kilograms in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 28 and he still managed to finish an extremely close second behind Trust In A Gust, but his spring campaign came to a premature end when he bled in the Caulfield Stakes.
The leading stallion prospect will be retired to stand at Newgate Farm at the end of his autumn campaign and a stake in the entire was purchased by The China Horse Club earlier this week.
