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By Ray Hickson

Country Championships winner Noble Boy will be given the chance to prove he can run out a mile in Saturday’s $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange.

If he can, Queanbeyan trainer Todd Blowes says it will give him plenty of races to aim at in the short and long term.

Noble Boy is one of 25 nominations for Kembla Grange’s new signature race, as a precaution he also nominated for the Benchmark 88, and with a 94 rating he appears certain to secure a start in the main event.

Blowes said he wanted to test the gelding’s distance limits with a view to running in next month’s Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) which offers an exemption into the Group 1 Doncaster Mile in April.

“I always planned this prep to get him to the mile and he’s had the three runs now so it’s time to give him a crack at it and see how we go,’’ he said.

“It will open up a lot more doors for us if he can run a strong mile.

“If we were going to get to the mile we thought we’d give him a crack at the Villiers but for $1 million I said to the boys we might as well have a throw at the stumps here and see how we go.’’

The five-year-old was a brilliant winner of the Country Championships earlier this year and he’s had three runs this spring for a first-up fourth in The Kosciuszko (1200m), a fourth in the Goulburn Cup (1400m) and a close third in the Group 3 Chatham Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.

Reykjavik was up for the fight. A super ride by Dean Yendall at @FlemingtonVRC. pic.twitter.com/AokxrALR2r

— Racing.com (@Racing) November 9, 2019

Blowes said he considered waiting a week for the Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m), the traditional Villiers lead up, at Rosehill on November 30 but didn’t want to risk running into another firm track.

"Although he didn’t win in Melbourne to be Group placed was a massive kick for him, knowing he can compete with that level of horse,’’ Blowes said.

“He had the two runs in a week and he pulled up enormous after the second run in Melbourne.

“I trucked him back on the Sunday after the race, he had a couple of quiet days last week and I rode him again this morning.

“He was full of beans coming on and off the track and towed me around for two laps. We’ll give him a shot at the mile and see how we go.’’

Noble Boy opened a $13 chance in TAB’s All-in market on the $1 million The Gong, Group 1 winner El Dorado Dreaming holds top spot at $5 ahead of Luvaluva and Star Of The Seas on the $6 line.

Leading Kembla Grange trainer Gwenda Markwell is likely to be left without a runner in The Gong, her major hope Archedemus didn’t come up in the spring and hasn’t raced since the Epsom Handicap.

Markwell has nominated Esteem Spirit for the race but his 74 rating means he’s well down in the order of entry and will likely have to line up in the Benchmark 88.

All the entries, form and replays for Saturday's The Gong meeting at Kembla Grange