O'BRIEN VOWS TO REPEAT CUP TEMPLATE

Trainer Danny O’Brien will revert to an old template for his attempt to get Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare back to his best for a third crack at Australia’s great race.

Vow And Declare staved off the international invasion to win the Melbourne Cup in 2019 but the gelding failed to win a race in the ensuing 12 months.

The five-year-old struggled at his last two runs of spring. Vow And Declare finished 15th in the Caulfield Cup and 18th in the Melbourne Cup before heading out for a spell.

O’Brien had Vow And Declare ready for the Australian Cup in March, which was four months after his Melbourne Cup triumph. But the trainer said Vow And Declare would have a longer break this time.

“He’s having a decent spell and he probably won’t kick off until April I’d say,” O’Brien said.

Vow And Declare started his 2019 campaign at Flemington on Anzac Day before embarking on a winter campaign in Brisbane.

The son of Declaration Of War ran second in the Queensland Derby before easily winning the Group 3 Tatt’s Cup (3000m) in that preparation.

COVID-19 restrictions made a Queensland trip impossible for Vow And Declare but O’Brien said a Brisbane campaign was a possibility in 2021.

“He’d have a similar program to 2019 where he kicked off in April and went through the winter,” O’Brien said.

“He might go back up to Queensland, depending on what’s going on up there or run in the Ramsden down here over the winter before the spring.”

While Vow And Declare is enjoying an extended break, O’Brien said Victoria Derby third placegetter Young Werther has returned to work to prepare for a tilt at the Australian Derby.

O’Brien said Young Werther had taken no harm from the usually gruelling Victoria Derby, which was run at a slow speed this year.

“It wasn’t a tough race for him” O’Brien said.

“He could have gone around the next Saturday if we’d wanted him to.

“He’s done really well in his break. He’s a bigger and stronger horse for the autumn.”

By Brad Waters for Racenet.com.au