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By Ray Hickson

With a $2 million race up for grabs it’s no surprise that emerging Irish jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle would say yes to making a hit and run Sydney mission to stand in for James McDonald at Randwick on Saturday.

Johann Gerard-Dubord (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Trainer Ciaron Maher was left without a rider for Odinson when McDonald stood down with injury and the 20-year-old, who rides for Joseph O’Brien in the UK, was more than happy to answer the call.

As Maher’s Sydney assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord explained, the young hoop is already well versed in what the stable expects from a two-month stint in Victoria with Maher, and then co-trainer David Eustace, that ended late last year.

“With a big field most of the first choices were gone, we looked at all options in Australia and then overseas,’’ Gerard-Dubord said.

“Dylan spent a couple of months in Melbourne and he rides very well. He’s Joseph’s main rider and the transition to Australian racing has been natural for him.

“He’s a very strong rider and that suits Odinson. He was very keen to come out when we touched base to see if he was interested so I think that’s a good pick up.

“He rides very well and he suits the horse.”

Odinson won the Inglis Nursery back in December and McDonald did a lot of the groundwork in preparation for the Millennium with two barrier trials in the second half of January.

The colt won the first then didn’t look quite as sharp in finishing fourth behind Anode at Warwick Farm on January 30 but Gerard-Dubord said McDonald’s reports were positive.

“It didn’t look like he went as well but we couldn’t be happier with the first one,’’ he said.

“James said he probably rode him a bit close and asked him to be there. He said if he really asked him there was quite a bit there.

“He seemed to enjoy finding his feet a bit better.”

So that’s what can be expected from Odinson, $4.80 with TAB on Wednesday, in the Inglis Millennium though not to the extent that was necessary in the Nursery where he went back from a wide gate before making a long run around the field.

“Even though he jumped well Tyler (Schiller) rode him very conservatively and he did a good job,’’ he said.

“Without being overly positive, we don’t want to give up the gate, he will definitely be closer than he was in the Nursery and that should make his life a bit easier.”

Group 1 winner Griff kicks off his Randwick Guineas campaign in the Group 3 $250,0000 Silverdale Farm Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) and it’s a sign of how well he’s returned that Ben Melham was keen to follow him to Sydney.

Melham rode the Caulfield Guineas winner in his latest trial, where he was narrowly beaten by Pericles at Warwick Farm, and Gerard-Dubord said all indications are that Griff is a better horse than he was in the spring.

Griff runs second in a Warwick Farm trial on January 30

“It was good to see because he’s better on race day than he is in his trials. To see him coming back so well is very exciting,’’ he said.

“Ben was always going to be keen to stick with him this time in knowing he was going to keep improving. He came up for the trial and definitely didn’t change his mind after that.

“Griff has come back pretty well, physically he has furnished but he still has more to come. We haven’t seen the best of him yet and he will keep improving.”

It’s likely Griff will follow the traditional three-year-old path of the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 24 into the Randwick Guineas two weeks later.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting