Having passed a significant distance test in the Caloundra Cup, Arapaho will head to the second day of the popular Grafton carnival in search of a breakthrough stakes success.

The five-year-old lines up in the Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) on Thursday after beating all but Le Don De Vie at his first attempt over a genuine staying journey at the Sunshine Coast.

Prior to that, Arapaho had not been extended beyond 2000m and trainer Bjorn Baker expected his last start experience to provide an ideal platform for his upcoming assignment.

“He might even be a bit better over the 2400 metres the second time,” Baker said.

“He seems really well. He has stayed up in Queensland since his last run with (trainer) Jack Bruce at Deagon and I’m looking forward to Thursday in what looks an open race.”

The feature race on day two of the carnival, the Grafton Cup has attracted a field of 11 with early TAB fixed odds markets posting Dr Drill as a $3.60 favourite.

Runner-up in the Scone and McKell Cups at his past two starts, the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace -trained gelding will be out to break an extended drought from the winner’s stall, his last victory coming in the 2020 Scone Cup.

Arapaho is on the second line of betting after being crunched from $6.50 into $4.20 and is one of six runners at single-figure odds.

Also being kept safe is the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Youth Spirit ($7).

A sound fourth in the McKell Cup (2000m) at his Australian debut, the horse will be looking to give Tulloch Lodge its fifth win in the race and first since Supply And Demand was successful in 2017.