Promising three-year-old stayer Mongolian Wolf has been scratched from the Rough Habit Plate at Doomben because of transport problems but is still expected contest the Queensland Derby.

The Darren Weir-trained Mongolian Wolf and stablemate Neverland were stranded in Melbourne when they could not make a flight to Brisbane.

Weir scratched both at the first opportunity on Friday morning.

Mongolian Wolf, who would have been the short-priced favourite in the Rough Habit Plate, will now run at Caulfield on Saturday.

He will accompany stablemate Articus, the Doomben Cup favourite, to Queensland by float early next week.

Syndicate head Jamie Lovett told RadioTAB Mongolian Wolf was still headed to the Group One Queensland Derby on June 10 after he runs at Caulfield.

The Doomben track is rated a soft (7) for Saturday’s meeting after no rain fell overnight.

Track manager Jim Roberts said provided it remained fine the track should recover further.

“We got caught by 10 millimetres of rain on Monday as the track had been fertilised. I would hope the rating will be better by Saturday,” Roberts said

“But they are predicting up to six millimetres tomorrow so hopefully it will miss us or they are wrong.”

By Mark Oberhardt

BRISBANE, May 12 AAP