Trainer Kris Lees is eyeing next month’s $200,000 Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton with Graff after an impressive trial on Tuesday.
A multiple stakes winner with more than $1 million in prizemoney, Graff has been at the Newcastle trainer’s Gold Coast base for the past month.
He ran 10th in the Group One Stradbroke (1400m) on June 6, with Lees deciding to press on into the winter.
In a Deagon trial over 1050m on Tuesday, Graff settled last before running on strongly in the final 200m to be beaten 1 1/2 lengths into second place by speedy mare Jami Lady.
Lees’ Queensland representative Mel Eggleston confirmed Graff was likely to run in the Ramornie (1200m) on July 8.
“That is the way Kris will probably go but we also have the option of the Eye Liner Handicap (1200m) at Ipswich two weeks later,” he said.
Stakes-winning former Tasmanian mare Twitchy Frank is likely to back up in the Listed Spear Chief Stakes (1350m) on Saturday after a solid fourth in the same trial.
Twitchy Frank was deep from the 600m before being given an easy time to the line.
Formerly trained by Adam Trinder in Tasmania, Twitchy Frank won in Group Three company at Hobart and counts a Flemington victory among her seven wins.
The mare is now with premier trainer Tony Gollan and is chasing black type before going under the hammer at the Magic Millions National Broodmare sales next month.
“I will see how she comes through the trial but she will probably run in the Spear Chief and then maybe the Gai Waterhouse (at Ipswich on July 18) but it is right on top of the sales,” Gollan said.
Twitchy Frank is listed on the first day of the MM sales (July 20) which will see Group One winners such as Sunlight and Invincibella also go under the hammer.