Trainers Don and Andrew Campbell are hoping they have the timing right for O'Reilly's Clock.The seven-year-old will launch his third Winter Championship series campaign at Flemington on Saturday in the hope of peaking on his third run in the $200,000 final on July 10.Last year O'Reilly's Clock was one of the top fancies for the Winter Championship but on the eve of the final he badly ricked his joint in a sand roll.The previous year he finished ninth in the final after winning series heats at Ba

Trainers Don and Andrew Campbell are hoping they have the timing right for O'Reilly's Clock.

The seven-year-old will launch his third Winter Championship series campaign at Flemington on Saturday in the hope of peaking on his third run in the $200,000 final on July 10.

Last year O'Reilly's Clock was one of the top fancies for the Winter Championship but on the eve of the final he badly ricked his joint in a sand roll.

The previous year he finished ninth in the final after winning series heats at Ballarat and Cranbourne.

The Geelong based Campbell said finding a suitable lead up race to kick start O'Reilly's Clock this campaign had been difficult.

He said the best option was to run him this Saturday in the open grade fourth heat of the Victorian Sprint Series (1200m) at Flemington.

"The 1200 metres will probably be too short for him but he has got to start somewhere," Campbell said.

O'Reilly's Clock has a rating of 89 but Campbell said there were no sprints accommodating that grade of horse at this time of the year.

The son of O'Reilly will have his first run in six months at Flemington after he had only three starts last spring before aggravating his joint injury.

"It has been a long recovery but he is in exceptionally good order," Campbell said.

"As horses get older they tend to get a bit heavy but he looks tremendous and is very well."

Campbell said after Saturday O'Reilly's Clock would try to qualify for the Winter Championship Final by contesting the sixth and final heat of the series at Flemington on June 26.

Last year he was a barnstorming third to Sand Sweeper in that heat which was his fifth run for the campaign.

"We are cutting it a bit fine to get him into the final this year but we have no choice," Campbell said.

Jockey Craig Robertson will reunite with O'Reilly's Clock on Saturday and notably steered the gelding to his last two wins which were in the Winter Championship heats two years ago.

O'Reilly's Clock has won seven of his 40 starts and Flemington has been a good money-spinning track with him producing seven top four finishes in 11 starts there including a Country Cup win.