Shamus Award is primed to repeat his Cox Plate heroics when he returns to racing in another weight-for-age feature on Saturday.
The high-profile three-year-old steps out in the Group One CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield and trainer Danny O’Brien insists the son of Snitzel is fit enough to win.
Next month’s Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) is Shamus Award’s main aim but Saturday’s race against older horses is much more than a lead-up for the valuable colt.
“He’s there to win. It’s a Group One race,” O’Brien declared.
“He’s not using it as a warm-up. He’s ready to win. He’ll improve obviously going forward but we won’t be making any excuses for him.”
Shamus Award created history in the spring when he became the first maiden to win the $3 million Cox Plate.
He will be striving to become the third horse after Saintly and Maldivian to claim the Cox Plate and Orr Stakes in the same season since the Orr became a Group One in 1993.
The three-year-old, who will be ridden by Craig Williams, had his second jump-out in as many weeks at Flemington last Friday and was given a solid hit-out, winning by about four lengths to ensure his fitness was up to the mark.
“He’s a colt going first-up into a 1400 metre race and he’s an on-speed horse,” O’Brien said.
“If you are going to be running on in a 1400 metre race you could probably have them a little bit underdone. But when you are going to be on the bunny, you are going to have to be reasonably close to your top.”
All Too Hard ran second as a three-year-old in the 2012 Cox Plate before winning last year’s Orr Stakes first-up.
O’Brien said it was the logical way to go with Shamus Award.
Victoria Derby-winner Polanski also resumes in the Orr after a pleasing barrier trial last week.
Their opposition will include five-year-old Moment Of Change who was narrowly beaten first-up in the Australia Stakes, while Chris Waller will nominate Hawkspur and Foreteller for both the Orr and the Carlyon Cup.
The Bart and James Cummings-trained three-year-old Eurozone will be entered for the Orr and the Group Two Autumn Stakes, also over 1400 metres.
