A wet track and a Kiwi challenger are Peter Moody’s biggest concerns for Dissident in Group One Rosehill Guineas.
Dissident won the Group One Randwick Guineas over 1600 metres on March 15 and will run over 2000 metres for the first time when he takes on New Zealand Derby winner Puccini.
Moody says he has trained Dissident to peak on Rosehill Guineas day but is unsure how the colt will handle heavy ground.
Dissident won the Group Two Hobartville Stakes on a slow surface but the narrow victory did not convince Moody of the Sebring three-year-old’s ability in the wet.
“His father was a wet-track horse but I don’t think he was at home in it (slow ground) even though he won the Hobartville,” Moody said.
“The heavy ground concerns me.”
Puccini will attempt to emulate Jimmy Choux, who won the NZ Derby and Rosehill Guineas in consecutive starts in 2011.
Moody said Puccini would pose the biggest threat to the locals at his first Australian start.
“You have always got to respect the New Zealand horses at their first run here,” Moody said.
“I think their first run here is significantly better than anything else.”
Moody says he is then likely to give Dissident a crack at the older horses in the Group One Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 12 rather than the Derby (2400m) on the same day.
Moody has also accepted to run Group Two Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) runner-up Cadillac Mountain in the Rosehill Guineas but the colt is not a certain starter.
The trainer says he will leave it as late as possible to decide whether Cadillac Mountain runs in the Rosehill Guineas or in the Group Three Tulloch Stakes (2000m) on Saturday week.
Moody was due to travel to Sydney to inspect Cadillac Mountain on Friday afternoon before discussing the situation with the gelding’s owners.
He is concerned barrier 16 will force Cadillac Mountain to settle back in the field, leaving him with a near-impossible task.
Jim Cassidy will continue his partnership with Dissident while Chad Schofield will ride Cadillac Mountain if he runs.
