Bart Cummings is set to raise the bar for exciting prospect Shamash in the Festival Stakes as a pre-cursor to a possible start in the Villiers.Shamash showed promise early in his career but went amiss after running second as favourite to his debutant stablemate So You Think at Rosehill in May last year.In the 18 months Shamash was sidelined with feet and testosterone issues, So You Think won four Group Ones including two Cox Plates and established himself as a champion.Less than 24 hours before

Bart Cummings is set to raise the bar for exciting prospect Shamash in the Festival Stakes as a pre-cursor to a possible start in the Villiers.

Shamash showed promise early in his career but went amiss after running second as favourite to his debutant stablemate So You Think at Rosehill in May last year.

In the 18 months Shamash was sidelined with feet and testosterone issues, So You Think won four Group Ones including two Cox Plates and established himself as a champion.

Less than 24 hours before So You Think racked up his fifth Group One in the Mackinnon Stakes on October 30, the now gelded Shamash made a winning return at Canterbury and backed that up with another victory at Rosehill on November 13.

"We'll nominate him for the Festival Stakes and see how he works on Tuesday and Thursday," Cummings said.

"If he is to run in the Villiers he would have to run in the Festival.

"He's very well and we'll just see what happens."

The Listed Festival Stakes (1500m) is at Rosehill while the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) is at Randwick on December 18.

Trainer Gerald Ryan will rely in Adnocon in the Festival with last year's third placegetter Ahdashim to miss the race.

"I'll just have Adnocon in the Festival and if he keeps going the right way he will have a shot at Villiers," Ryan said.

"I was pleased with his last run."

Adnocon resumed from a spell with a fourth over 1200 metres at Rosehill on November 20 carrying 60 kilograms.

The winner of the Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich in June, Adnocon finished ninth in the 2009 Villiers just 2-1/2 lengths behind the winner Palacio De Cristal.

While Shamash is trying to rebuild his career in Sydney, So You Think is residing at Coolmore Stud ahead of leaving for Ireland to race under Aidan O'Brien.

Dato Tan Chin Nam sold a half share in So You Think after his third in the Melbourne Cup for a reported $30 million.

So You Think will travel to Europe at the end of December with the shuttle stallions returning to Ireland.