Artie’s Shore could have been shooting for his first metropolitan win in a restricted midweek race at Sandown but instead finds himself lining up in Group One company at Flemington.

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The three-year-old is the outsider in Saturday’s Australian Guineas (1600m) but he has shown trainer Matthew Williams enough for him to hope for a finish in the top half of the field.

The Warrnambool-based Williams has had just one other runner in a Group One race with Thundahar finishing sixth in the 2004 Adelaide Cup.

“I will be very happy if he can run in the first half dozen,” Williams said.

“He is a horse on the way up and improving as he gets over further ground.

“We have it in mind that he could be a nice horse for the South Australian Derby.

“I had him in a benchmark 70 race at Sandown next Wednesday but once he got a run in the Guineas, the owners were keen to go there.

“Anything can happen in racing and we’re hoping for the best.

“You’ll never win a Group One race if you don’t run in them.”

Artie’s Shore was an unlucky third over 1500m when he came to town for the first time last Wednesday week.

Williams bought the son of Artie Schiller out of a paddock and his breeders, the McKellar family decided to take shares in him for his racing career.

Artie’s Shore will be ridden by Jamie Mott who has recently expressed an interest in holding a dual purpose licence to ride over jumps.

“Jamie has ridden a lot for me,” Williams said.

“He has a battle with his weight a bit but he is a very good rider and horseman.

“He has been schooling a few here at Warrnambool and seems to enjoy it.”

Williams has a team of almost 50 horses in work including several jumpers he is preparing for the annual Warrnambool carnival.