Jockey Craig Newitt has convinced connections of exciting sprinter Esprit De Bullet to have a crack at the Group Three Standish Handicap at Flemington.Newitt is the regular rider of the lightly-raced Bel Esprit five-year-old who has won five of his nine starts and is unbeaten in two runs this campaign.A winner up to 1100 metres, Esprit De Bullet has failed at his only three starts at Saturday's distance of 1200m but Newitt likes his chances in a hotly-contested sprint up the Flemington straight.

Jockey Craig Newitt has convinced connections of exciting sprinter Esprit De Bullet to have a crack at the Group Three Standish Handicap at Flemington.

Newitt is the regular rider of the lightly-raced Bel Esprit five-year-old who has won five of his nine starts and is unbeaten in two runs this campaign.

A winner up to 1100 metres, Esprit De Bullet has failed at his only three starts at Saturday's distance of 1200m but Newitt likes his chances in a hotly-contested sprint up the Flemington straight.

"He (Newitt) was keen for the horse to run in the Standish," trainer Mark Lewis said.

"He thinks he is the perfect horse for it."

Lewis said the tempo of the Standish should work in favour of Esprit De Bullet and allow him to unleash his trademark whirlwind sprint from back in the field.

"He's got a great turn of foot when things go right for him," Lewis said.

"The pace of the race is pretty critical to him because he does really need high speed on.

"He is such a big horse who can get pulling and when that happens it affects his breathing pattern and puts him all out of whack."

Esprit De Bullet stormed home for an easy 3-1/2 length win in a 0-78 sprint at Bendigo when resuming on October 27 and produced an astonishing finish to win last start from what seemed a hopeless pocket over 955m at Moonee Valley on December 3.

"At the Valley he probably wasn't entitled to win from where he was at the 300 metres," Lewis said.

"But he got out at the 150 metres and had them all covered with 50 metres to go."

Lewis has high hopes that Esprit De Bullet will measure up to the top sprinters in the autumn and the Standish is an important step towards realising that plan.

The gelding is still eligible for much easier races with his 82 rating but a Standish win would open up the possibilities, which include the Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 26.

"Hopefully he can get his rating up to run in arace like that," Lewis said.

"He would be down in the weights and with no Black Caviar in the Oakleigh Plate it would be pretty inviting."

Esprit De Bullet is on the minimum 53kg in the Standish along with 14 of the other 18 nominations.

Vigor heads the weights with 58kg ahead of Chasm (55.5kg), Secret Flyer (54kg) and Vigor's stablemate Keano (53.5kg).