STAYING STABLEMATES' CUP TILTS

In what is almost a rarity Danny O’Brien’s pair of stable stalwarts Vow And Declare and Young Werther won’t be competing against each other as both have separate appointments in rich staying Cups over the Christmas period.

Vow And Declare will contest the $300,000 Pakenham Cup (2500m) on Saturday, while on New Year's Day Young Werther will run in the $1 million Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot.

Both are set to run on firm tracks, something they have found hard to find over spring, and O'Brien said both are in suitable races.

O’Brien has booked Young Werther on a flight to Perth on Christmas Eve.

“Both Vow and Werther, all spring, have kept running into the wrong weather,” O’Brien said.

“One of the last times they got on to a firm track was in the Tatt’s Cup in Queensland in late June, which Vow won, and Wether finished second and the Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice finished third and they broke the track record by a second, so it’s one of the best form races of the year.”

“That’s almost the last time both of them got on a dry track. Werther got on one at the start of spring and beat the Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa. Turnbull Stakes Day and Caulfield Cup Day, the conditions were diabolical.”

Young Werther pleased O’Brien with his seventh last Saturday at Caulfield over 1500m and he saw enough to confirm a trip to Perth.

O’Brien has secured the services of Damian Lane to ride Young Werther in the Perth Cup.

Vow And Declare hasn’t started since he finished eighth in the Bendigo Cup, where he worked hard in the early stages of the race. That followed a luckless run in the Geelong Cup, where he was held up for a run in the closing stages.

Vow And Declare finished fourth in a 1400m jumpout at Ballarat which pleased the trainer.

“We’re really pleased with him. He’s in good shape. He should run well on a firm track on the lovely spacious Pakenham circuit which will suit him. There are a lot of positives for him,” O'Brien said.

Vow And Declare will be ridden by Craig Williams, who rode him to win the 2019 Melbourne Cup. He is a $6 chance with Sportsbet.

Young Werther is also $6 with Sportsbet to win the Perth Cup.

Story by Michael Manley for Racing.com

Pics by Racing Photos