Add Views filter for data table

I would like to create a handler extending views_handler_filter_many_to_one.inc, and use Drupal_alter so that my module add the filter to Data UI. User will be able to select data table values in the (exposed) form. My thinking is that I could add options to the select in the function value_form. I can see ways of getting field values in the documentation and code for Views and Data modules

One possibility is

$result = db_query("SELECT my_filter_field FROM {my_table}", $args);

// add result to options array

And work from there

Or is there a function I can use from the API for getting the field values from the table e.g. If if create the variable $table

$table = data_get_table('my_table');

// add $table->field to options

I noticed the data module has $table->get() - maybe I could use this?