Spring racing / Steve Mcghee / 08 October 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

Hissing Sid looks the one to beat in the Herbert Power at Caulfield on Saturday at the weights from a soft draw and I expect some serious money to go on the gelding late let alone in pre-post markets.

Hissing Sid can rediscover winning form this campaign and win the G2 Herbert Power (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday and then make the field for the G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) one week later and win that too.

He has been luckless this time in and finally gets a decent draw, weight and too a suitable distance on a track he is already a dual winner on plus the odds to convert his formline into 'one and one' or 'snake eyes' are right now simply too good to let slither by.

It is not inconceivable for him to go 'snake eyes' and roll 'one-one' or win-win in his formline over the next week at Caulfield.

If he does then bettors will get juicy odds for the Caulfield Cup right now and will be letting it ride, so to speak, with a Herbert Power play into the Caulfield Cup.

He is two from three at Caulfield and his other outing saw him last start finish sixth beaten less than two lengths in the G3 Naturalism Stakes (1800m) from a bad gate.

Form analysts will have noted his run was a ripper but also that what beat him home that day contains two easy winners since.

Light Vision finished second in the Naturalism and won the Listed Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington last week under a big weight but even more impressively, Speed Gifted finished a good fourth in the Naturalism and came out and second rated the G1 Metropolitan (2400m) last week at Randwick.

Red Lord won the Naturalism but was outclassed last start at G1 under WFA in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m), so forger he went around.

Majestical finished third in the Naturalism and last start finished a close up third in the Benalla Cup (2046m) under 58kg.

Guyno was the only other runner that beat home Hissing Sid in the Naturalism and it struck that wet track in the G1 Metropolitan and floundered but don't drop him back to a dry track, so paste him away to form reverse next start on good ground.

Hissing Sid will be fourth up from a spell on Saturday and last campaign finished second in that state then went win and win, so if he is the stronger force this year that many think then a win on Saturday and possibly the Caulfield Cup seven days later is not out of the question.

No concerns with a dry or rain-affected track with Hissing Sid as he can strike on all types of footing and in a very competitive Herbert Power this year it is his draw for once that will help him over the closing stages.

His three barrier draws in order since resuming this campaign, where he has always had some solid support to show you he has come back super, are gates thirteen, fifteen and fourteen.

We find Craig Newitt stays with the off pacer gelding, after being atop for that good last start sixth, and he knows Caulfield like the back of his hand.

There is something almost fairytale-like too in the offing, when you see on Saturday it will be a 'Froggy' (Newitt's nickname) on a snake (Hissing Sid is by the sire Golden Snake hence the name)!

Hissing Sid is currently 28th equal in order for the Caulfield Cup, so unless there is a plethora of dropouts his chances of getting a start right now are dicey but a win in the G2 Herbert Power will put him on the big table for the big show next week for sure.