Robert Smerdon will use the Group Three Standish Handicap at Flemington on New Year's Day as a guide to the potential autumn carnival targets for progressive sprinter Eclair Mystic.After stringing four wins together between February and April this year, Eclair Mystic showed that a profitable summer and autumn campaign was all but assured when returning from a spell with a dominant win at Flemington on December 18, leaving Group One winner Toorak Toff and talented sprinters Broken and Secret Flye

Robert Smerdon will use the Group Three Standish Handicap at Flemington on New Year's Day as a guide to the potential autumn carnival targets for progressive sprinter Eclair Mystic.

After stringing four wins together between February and April this year, Eclair Mystic showed that a profitable summer and autumn campaign was all but assured when returning from a spell with a dominant win at Flemington on December 18, leaving Group One winner Toorak Toff and talented sprinters Broken and Secret Flyer in his wake.

That performance prompted Smerdon to take aim at the Standish and the trainer could not be happier with the way the three-year-old has progressed from his latest victory.

"He came through the race really well and is in good shape, you'd think that after he got out to 1400 metres last prep that he'd be pretty strong at 1200 metres second-up," Smerdon said.

Secret Flyer will again provide stiff competition but with Toorak Toff sidelined and Broken likely to run at Moonee Valley on New Year's Eve in preference to Flemington, Eclair Mystic has a terrific chance to claim his first black-type win.

Smerdon took Eclair Mystic to Sandown on Wednesday to work with a stablemate and was very pleased with the way the gelding completed the gallop.

In-form jockey Chris Symons will retain the ride in the Standish after receiving a late call-up when Eclair Mystic resumed after apprentice Jason Maskiell was unable to take his full 1.5-kilogram claim.

"When Jason couldn't use the full claim the horse would have effectively run overweight so we made the late change and got Chris on instead," Smerdon explained.

"I thought it was only fair to give him first right of refusal and he'll ride again.

"It's quite funny because Chris has a habit of only getting the odd ride on good horses, he won twice on Toorak Toff and won on Weekend Hussler at his second start but never got to ride him again."

Following the Standish, Smerdon is likely to turn Eclair Mystic out for a short break before targeting races like the Zeditave Stakes in February but suggested that a more ambitious campaign and a tilt at weight-for-age races would also be considered if the horse continued to improve.

"He would need to keep progressing but you'd like to think that he could get to that level," Smerdon said.