Shamus Award was considered unlucky not to win the Caulfield Guineas in the spring but the valuable colt gets his chance to make amends in another Guineas at Flemington on Saturday.

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An eye-catching third in the Caulfield Guineas last preparation, Shamus Award then came out and won the Cox Plate at his next start as a maiden.

Jockey Craig Williams didn’t ride Shamus Award in the Caulfield Guineas because of suspension but did plenty of lead-up work and insists he is in the same sort of condition heading into the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) on Saturday.

He said Shamus Award had improved from his first-up third to Moment Of Change and Guineas rival Eurozone in the CF Orr Stakes after partnering him in an exhibition gallop last Friday and in trackwork on Wednesday.

“He’s definitely come on,” Williams said.

“In his attitude, even though he knows that he is good, he has all of a sudden started switching on and is a lot more relaxed. Very similar to how he was going into the Guineas in the spring.”

Shamus Award is on the third line of betting at $6.50 behind CS Hayes Stakes winner Hucklebuck ($3.70) and Eurozone ($4.40) after a field of 14 was declared on Wednesday.

Shamus Award has barrier nine with Eurozone in gate five and Hucklebuck in eight.

“I think it looks a nice draw. I’m happy with that,” Williams said.

“Hopefully the track plays fair and it will be a good race.”

Craig Newitt is banking on a genuine speed for his mount Teronado who hit the line for fifth in the CS Hayes in a performance the jockey rated “nearly the run of the race”.

“He will jump from the outside gate but will get back anyway,” Newitt said.

“If they sit up and sprint he’s got no hope but if they make it a genuine-run race and it is a strong testing mile, it will play to his favour more than theirs,” Newitt said.

“I’m expecting him to run top five even with the bad gate.”

The Peter Snowden-trained San Diego was not an acceptor for the Guineas, having suffered a tendon injury.