Cantankerous Camelot heads to Pakenham

It's not quite panic stations yet for Danny O'Brien as he races to get Russian Camelot ready for next month's Group 1 SA Derby.

The boom three-year-old, who was a $3.40 favourite when scratched at Caulfield on Saturday after rearing in the barriers, will tackle a nondescript Benchmark 64 handicap over 1600m at Racing.com Park on Thursday night.

O'Brien said the lightly raced son of Camelot had been given a solid gallop and some additional barrier practice on Monday.

"He came through it (Saturday's scratching) without any mishap and he had a good, strong gallop here at Flemington on Monday morning," O'Brien said.

"We popped him back through the barriers and he was all good in them.

"We've still got plenty of time to get to South Australia, but it would certainly be nice to run him this week and, touch wood, that can happen on Thursday."

O'Brien is having a simpler time with his Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare, who will chase another lucrative payday in Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.

Despite a five-week gap since his first-up run in the Australian Cup, the Flemington horseman said he couldn't be happier with the stayer's fitness and condition.

And with Queensland's Winter Carnival cancelled, O'Brien hasn't ruled out running Vow And Declare third-up in Melbourne after he returns from Sydney.

"He'll be five weeks between runs on Saturday, but he went to Bendigo races the weekend before last and had a nice gallop there," O'Brien said.

"I think he presents in better order to what he was here at Flemington (in the Australian Cup) and we're looking forward to running him again.

"If it was at 2400m, we'd be very confident but at 2000m he's a bit more vulnerable, especially if it's not a true test.

"We'll just see what happens on the weekend and what the landscape looks like when he gets back here as to where we'll go next with him."

By James Tzaferis for Racing.com

Pic by Racing Photos