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Kris Lees has opted for blinkers again on Spanish Point at Murwillumbah today as he seeks to strengthen his hand for the inaugural $2m The Big Dance.

Spanish Point (Kyle Wilson-Taylor) tackles the $70,000 Murwillumbah Cup (1550m), which carries another eligibility clause for The Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick on November 1.

To be eligible, a horse must run first or second in one of the 25 Country Cups across NSW; the last to be run at Coonamble on October 9.

The Big Dance Wild Card (1600m) will be run at Randwick on October 16, with the first two placegetters securing automatic inclusion in the November 1 line-up.

Spanish Point  also was an acceptor for the Benchmark 80 Handicap (1600m) at Doomben tomorrow, but is going to Murwillumbah.

The eight-year-old son of Frankel hasn't raced since finishing fifth to Fast Talking in a similar race at the Sunshine Coast on July 2 on heavy ground.

Lees already has Kedah, Rustic Steel and Hosier eligible for the new race at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day.

Kedah won the Ballina Cup (1590m) in January, Rustic Steel took the Scone Cup (1600m) in May, and Hosier, at his first start for Lees, won the Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m) earlier this month.

"Kedah has had two recent trials, and isn't far off resuming," Lees said this morning.

"I'm not sure at this stage what path we will take with her toward The Big Dance.

"Rustic Steel has trialled once (fourth over 1000m at Wyong on August 10), and will trial again at Scone on Wednesday.

"He is likely to resume in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 10.

"We gave Hosier a couple of weeks away at our farm at Ellalong after winning the Coffs Cup, and he is now back at the stables."

. As well as Spanish Point, stablemate Snowzone also is likely to bypass tomorrow's Doomben meeting.

He drew the outside barrier in a field of eight for the 1350m Open Handicap, and Lees is favoring running him instead at the Gold Coast if the talented Go Wandji (odds-on favorite) starts at Doomben.

Snowzone (Josh Adams) has drawn the rails in an Open Handicap (1100m) at the Gold Coast, where stablemate Tavisan (Luke Dittman) is also an acceptor. The pair are topweights with 60.5kg.