Flemington: Danny O’Brien and Graff

#Talented sprinter #Graff is to use the #Standish #Handicap at #Flemington on #Friday to be primed for an attack on the $1 million #Magic #Millions #Sprint on the #Gold #Coast.

#Trainer #Danny O’#Brien had considered trialling the five-year-old before the trip to #Queensland for the #Sprint on #January 16, but has opted to give him a hitout down the #Flemington straight instead.

#Nominations for the #Group 3 #Standish #Handicap were extended a day in response to there being only eight entries. O’#Brien took advantage of the extension to throw #Graff’s name into the race and he is topweight in the eight-horse field with 59kg.

“I was toying with the idea of trialling him or running him down the straight,” O’#Brien said. “The noms came up a bit skinny, so we will run him.

#Graff won his first start for #Danny O’#Brien at #Caulfield in #October. #Picture: #Getty #Images

“He has raced in higher class throughout his career, so it is probably a drop back in grade for him. #Certainly from his last start behind #Bivouac in the #Sprint #Classic.

“Even though he has 59kg, he is not in it too badly.”

#Graff made his debut for the O’#Brien stable when he beat #Fabergino in the #Group 2 #Caulfield #Sprint on #October 17, then was beaten 5.7 lengths behind #Bivouac in a #Classic field which included #Nature #Sprint, #Libertini and #Hey #Doc.

The horse was spelled after the #November 7 outing and O’#Brien said he was in great shape.

“He has been down at the beach property and had a life at the beach,” he said.

#Champion jockey #Damien #Oliver, who rode #Graff at #Caulfield, has regained the ride.

#Graff had his final run for his previous trainer #Kris #Lees in #Queensland, being unplaced in the #Stradbroke #Handicap at #Eagle #Farm in #June.

#Defiant #Dancer is the favourite for the #Standish #Handicap. #Picture: #Getty #Images

The #Phillip #Stokes-trained #Defiant #Dancer, a winner of his past four starts, has opened as favourite for the #Standish.

#Former #Kiwi #Run #To #Perfection will also be having his third start for the O’#Brien stable when he resumes from a seven-month spell in a #Benchmark 78 over 1200m.

“He has come back in good shape,” O’#Brien said. “He has had a couple of barrier trials and I expect him to run well.”

O’#Brien also has I #Am #Enchanting making her debut in the two-year old fillies event over 1000m and he said she was at #Flemington to gain race-day experience.

“She is a nice enough filly, but probably will be better over further later in her career,” he said.

#Read all #News by #Warren #Partland