Dissident Brings Up Stakes Double for Sebring

Talented colt Dissident was second in the Group I ATC Golden Rose back in the spring and brought his ‘A game’ to Rosehill on Saturday to win the Group II ATC Hobartville Stakes for the Peter Moody stable.

Dissident chased home El Roca when finishing second in a Listed race at Rosehill last month at his first run back from a spell and when that colt was a late scratching from the Hobartville Stakes, the son of Sebring always loomed as a winning chance.

Ridden positively by Jim Cassidy, Dissident proved too good on the line to win the 1400 metre contest by a head beating Group I New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas winner Atlante.

His overall record now stands at two wins and five placings from 10 starts with prizemoney of $546,200.

“He’s tough. I had to be aggressive on today to hold his spot and I was at him the whole way,” said Jim Cassidy.

“He was only so, so in the ground but I think chasing him and annoying him and keeping him focused and interested helped him get through it. I think when get gets to 10 furlongs he’s the sort of horse that will appreciate being able to travel.”

Dissident was a $210,000 Magic Millions purchase for his trainer from the Widden Stud draft and runs for a big syndicate of very happy owners.

Bred by Widden Stud and partners, Dissident is the second foal and first stakes-winner for stakes-placed Anabaa (USA) mare Diana’s Secret, who comes from the family of Palace Gossip, Mountebank and Vietnam.

The current yearling from Diana’s Secret is a Northern Meteor filly that will be offered by Widden Stud at Inglis Easter as Lot 408.

Diana’s Secret was one of 222 mares covered last year by Sebring, who featured earlier in the day with a new stakes-winner in Melbourne in Bring Me the Maid and very nearly had a stakes treble with high class colt Criterion finishing second in the Group I VRC Australian Guineas.