Cox Plate winner Shamus Award has tuned up for his Group One CF Orr Stakes return with a solid hitout at the Flemington jump-outs on Friday.
Stepping out in his second jump-out in as many weeks, Shamus Award sat on the speed in his 800m heat under jockey Craig Williams and when given a click up in the straight he extended to win by about four lengths.
Shamus Award - Photo by Sharon Chapman
The three-year-old will resume in the Orr Stakes (1400m) against older horses on Saturday week at Caulfield, the same race All Too Hard returned a winner in as a three-year-old last year.
“He had a quiet jump-out last week, we asked him to do a little bit more this morning, he was solid to the line and Craig Williams was really pleased,” trainer Danny O’Brien told Racing Victoria.
“His fitness is just where we need it to be and he’s eight days out form resuming in the Orr, so everything’s positive.”
The Group One Australian Guineas on March 1 is the major aim for the colt this preparation and O’Brien said the son of Snitzel was a more mature horse this time in.
“He’s already a Cox Plate winner, so we’re expecting him to be very competitive in anything he runs in,” he said.
