The potential of Awesome Rock heading towards a possible Caulfield Guineas start swayed jockey Damien Oliver to select the colt as his ride in Saturday's McNeil Stakes.

Oliver partnered the Mick Price-trained Jabali in the Vain Stakes (1100m) first-up when the Group One-placed colt finished sixth as favourite.

But Melbourne's premier jockey decided to instead ride the resuming Awesome Rock in Saturday's 1200-metre Group Three race at Caulfield.

Craig Newitt jumps aboard Jabali who will be one of four three-year-olds in the race for Price.

"He's a nice horse," Oliver said of Awesome Rock.

"I think Awesome Rock has probably got a bit more scope to go a bit further distance-wise, and I wasn't sure how far Jabali would go distance-wise.

"And Jabali probably could have done a bit more in his last run as well."

Oliver rode Awesome Rock in trackwork at Flemington on Tuesday and said the Fastnet Rock colt worked well.

Awesome Rock, trained in partnership by Leon Corstens and his son Troy, won at Sandown at his second start in February before finishing second to Zululand in the Group Two Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.

His juvenile season included a trip to Sydney where he finished second last in the Todman Stakes.

The McNeil Stakes has attracted a strong list of 23 nominations including the resuming Chivalry for trainer Mark Kavanagh who will be ridden by Glen Boss.

Brad Rawiller rides the Price-trained Cornrow, Daniel Moor is on resuming stablemate Moonovermanhattan and Nick Hall partners Nordic Empire.

Price said Jabali raced keenly behind the leaders in the Vain and he rates the horse as his best chance in Saturday's race.

"He'll be free-flowing and he'll be up there," Price said.

The Golden Rose (1400m) in Sydney is on the radar for Jabali and Cornrow.