Dissident for Horse of the Year?

In a year when many horses have enjoyed varied magic moments it's been Sebring stallion Dissident that has been super consistent at the top level and his efforts should earn him Australian Horse of the Year.

Peter Moody has put the polish on past Australian Horses of the Year in Black Caviar and Typhoon Tracy with Dissident (pictured Steve Hart) set to make it a hat-trick following his emphatic win in the Group I ATC All Aged Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

Already a four time Group I winner, three of those victories coming this season at weight-for age, Dissident put himself right in contention with his gritty defeat of Group I VRC Australian Guineas winner Wandjina in the 1400 metre sprint.

Also in the field were pre-eminent sprinters Chautauqua (winner of the ATC TJ Smith) and Terravista (winner of the VRC Darley Sprint) as well as Group I winners Lucky Hussler, Famous Seamus, Shooting to Win, Rebel Dane and Laser Hawk.

Dissident has performed in spring and autumn - and in Sydney and Melbourne - and if not for suffering a bleed when sixth in the Group I MRC Caulfield Stakes, he may well have won the Cox Plate.

A precocious two year-old and a Classic winning three year-old (he won the Group I ATC Randwick Guineas), Dissident has raised the bar again at four to be the best in the country and while arguments can be mounted for other very good horses, logic will lead you back to Dissident.

A powerhouse addition to the Newgate Farm roster for 2015, Dissident was bred and sold as a yearling by Widden Stud and will be the first son of their top class sire Sebring to go to stud.

It's a most fitting result as Dissident was also the first stakes-winner for Sebring when winning the Listed MRC Blue Diamond Preview on debut in January 2013.

Given his powerful group of owners, Dissident will be feted with some of the best mares in the country and receive a second to none chance to succeed at stud.