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James McDonald will take over as the rider of unbeaten youngster Graff when he makes his Brisbane carnival debut at Doomben on Saturday.

Trainer Kris Lees has confirmed McDonald’s booking for both Graff in the $250,000 BRC Sires Produce Stakes (1350m) and Nurse Kitchen in the $125,000 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1600m).

The pair will join stablemates Le Romain and Danish Twist en route to Queensland by float on Wednesday evening.

Glyn Schofield stays aboard triple G1 winner Le Romain in the $700,000 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1350m) and Craig Williams rides Danish Twist in the $150,000 Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m).

Star Witness two-year-old Graff has won both his starts at Rosehill on April 2 over 1100m and at the stand-alone meeting at Hawkesbury on April 28 in the Clarendon Stakes (1300m).

Christian Reith rode the colt at Rosehill and Kerrin McEvoy had the Hawkesbury mount.

McEvoy has a Sires’ Produce booking for the Chris Waller-trained The Autumn Sun, whom he rode to an impressive 1200m debut victory at Randwick on Anzac Day, if that youngster makes the trip to Brisbane as he is also nominated for Saturday’s Randwick meeting.

If Graff runs up to expectations in the Sires he will go on to the G1 JJ Atkins Plate (1600m) at Doomben on June 9.

Nurse Kitchen, purchased last year by China Horse Club, had her first start for Lees when a late closing seventh to Siren’s Fury in the G3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at the Scone carnival on May 12.

A G2 winner in Melbourne and G1-placed in Sydney as a three-year-old when prepared by Peter Moody, the Savabeel mare appreciated wet tracks in both those races.

“Nurse Kitchen has progressed nicely since Scone, but I would like some rain in Brisbane before Saturday,” Lees said this afternoon

Lees, who won last year’s inaugural Kingsford-Smith Cup with Clearly Innocent when it was run at Eagle Farm over 1300m, is delighted with Le Romain’s progress since his outstanding third after a wide run to Impending in the G1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) on May 12.

“I can’t fault him,” he said. “He is in tremendous order.”

Stradbroke Handicap weights will be released next Monday with Le Romain expected to receive 58kg, a weight that will satisfy Lees.

Veteran stayer Doukhan is on his way home from Melbourne for the Stayer’s Cup (3200m) at Randwick on June 9.

Doukhan ran seventh in the Sydney Cup (3200m) on April 14 and was a close fifth to Sin To Win in last Saturday’s Andrew Ramsden Stakes over the same distance at Flemington.