The nine-year-old gelding showed no signs of slowing down when Tommy Berry swept to a shock lead and gripped on to win the Group 3 Craven Plate at Randwick on Saturday, taking his career prizemoney beyond $7.2 million. Trainer Pat Webster confirmed Happy Clapper will be set for the new race, six years after making his track debut at Kembla Grange, where he ran third.

"We're looking at The Gong," he told Sky Racing.

"It sounds a bit corny, but the owner (Michael Thomas) said wouldn't it be good if he could run in the first running of the million dollar race.

"The handicapper, sometimes I think they live in a bit of a bubble, but they won't be able to do much this time, because the maximum top weight is 61kg and no doubt the Clapper will get that, so it's all good.

"In the next fortnight, if he shows that he's pulled up from this run ok, because we space his runs out a month apart now, but that will be his last run (of the preparation)."

READ MORE: Kembla Grange trainer Gwenda Markwell pushing on with Melbourne Cup bid

Happy Clapper stands alongside Hartnell, as well as the 2017 Cox Plate runner-up Humidor, as the main competition to Winx during her unbeaten run.

After winning the Craven Plate with his daring front-running ride, Berry confirmed he was keen to retain the ride for The Gong on November 23, to be run over 1600m.

Meanwhile, Gwenda Markwell is yet to commit Archedemus to running in The Gong, after being outclassed in Group 1 company in the Epsom Handicap.

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