HANDY Warrnambool stayer Hissing Sid will kick off a campaign to qualify for the $6 million Melbourne Cup in tomorrow's group two Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
Joint trainer Bill Wilde said last year's Warrnambool Cup winner would again target the May carnival feature flat event, but the main aim was to qualify for the richest handicap in the world.
Hissing Sid narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 24-horse cup which was won by the Mark Kavanagh-trained Shocking last November.
Wilde said he expected a forward showing from Hissing Sid tomorrow, but conceded his stable star was better suited over 2000m.
The main contenders in the Blamey Stakes include the Hawkes family-trained Dao Dao, Danny O'Brien's Vigor, Lee Freedman-trained Doctor Fremantle and Mick Price's Rightfully Yours.
"Obviously he's a 10 furlong horse but we expect him to run reasonably well," Wilde said.
" The Warrnambool Cup is just not a good enough race to qualify (for the Melbourne Cup), so we'll need to win another group race on the way through.
"We were on the back foot all the way through last preparation, always chasing our tail, and in the end he didn't do well enough to qualify."
Wilde said Hissing Sid had not been over-raced and this could be the five-year-old bay gelding's breakthrough campaign.
"We've been kind to him and I believe he is a genuine stayer. Hopefully this year he can qualify for the Melbourne Cup," he said.
"In the past he's had a few little issues, back problems that took a long time to get right. Last year he ran in the Ramsden (3200m) and finished fifth trying to qualify for the cup.
"He had a short break and then came back for races like the Herbert Power and Naturalism. We'll probably go the sam e way again."
Hissing Sid last started in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2500m) and finished fourth behind Sterling Prince on November 7.
Hissing Sid, owned by a tribe of Warrnambool connections, has had 20 starts for six wins and five placing, collecting $327,000 in prizemoney.
Meanwhile, Wangoom trainer Matthew Williams has decided to stick to the group three $125,000 Victoria Plate (1400m) with talented mare Flying Tessie tomorrow after the race had to be rescheduled following a hail storm in Melbourne last weekend.
"After much tossing and turning, we decided to stick to the 1400m," Williams said.
"I was a little bit worried about the mile mares' race finishing up with a small field and not getting a truly run race. She needs a genuine pace.
"I probably thought more about putting her (Flying Tessie) around in the Blamey, but in the end she's in the 1400m race."
Williams' four-year-old bay Testa Rossa mare has drawn well in barrier eight and is listed as a $4.80 chance in early markets behind $3.20 favourite Lady Lynette
Yangery trainer Jarrod McLean also has Juggle The Books engaged in the $125,000 listed Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m).
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