BEAUTIFUL SPACE, ridden by Paul Ramsay, cruises home by 2 1/2 lengths in the ninth race over the straight for three-year-old fillies (non-winners of two) at Caymanas Park last Saturday. Owned by Patrick Smellie and trained by Frederick Watson, BEAUTIFUL SPACE won at odds of 4-1. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Keen competition is expected at Caymanas Park today when 10 open allowance horses contest the seventh running of the $1 million Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission Trophy race over 1400 metres.

Trainer Dwight Chen can win the race for the second consecutive year with his improving American filly HONEYOFALADY.

highly competitive

The race has attracted a highly competitive field, including another American filly QUICK AND GRAY, who bids for her fourth consecutive win, as well as SHANGHAI PASS, TOBAGO, WAP and recent winner THE GUARDIAN.

Chen saddled topweight MUSICAL MAESTRO to win the race in a driving finish last year and this time his charge HONEYOFALADY goes with a mere 48.0kg under in-form Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas, who rode her to victory last time out.

HONEYOFALADY has won four of her six races to date, the most recent on July 18 when staving off the then favourite HOMBRE by three-quarter length in a fast-run overnight allowance race at 1500 metres.

She covered the distance in the good time of 1:32.0 and with HOMBRE coming back to score an emphatic victory over 1820 metres in the Nigel B. Nunes Memorial Trophy open allowance feature on July 18. This speaks volumes for the chances of HONEYOFALADY.

The three-year-old daughter of Snow Ridge has tremendous scope and although stepping up in class today, this will not deter her. She has good pace and coming back in good nick in a bid for this trophy, looks the type to follow, especially at these weights.

no walk in the park

Still, it won't be a walk in the park for HONEYOFALADY, as she will have to get everything right in this strong field. Horses such as TOBAGO, QUICK AND GRAY, THE GUARDIAN and especially SHANGHAI PASS, who won the grade one Chairman's Trophy over 1500 metres in the smart time of 1:31.4 some weeks ago, will be giving nothing away.

Trained by Gary Subratie, SHANGHAI PASS (Dane Nelson) looks sharp in his preparation and this American four-year-old colt is the principal danger to HONEYOFALADY.

True, he could only manage seventh to HOMBRE when highly fancied for the Nunes Memorial Trophy recently, but showed up prominently to the final bend under topweight and can definitely rebound with the distance now ideal.

too much

But asking him to give all of 9.0kg to a fit HONEYOFALADY might just prove too much.

This the seventh annual raceday to be sponsored by the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission will also feature a gimmick race (10 entries) over 200 metres on which win, place and quinella betting will be conducted.

The Wayne DaCosta-trained HEART OF GOLD (Omar Walker up) looks a cinch for the Charles Randle Trophy following her close fourth over a trip short of her best last Saturday.She gets the ideal trip of 1820 metres.

Other firm fancies on the card are KING OF THE TRACK in the 3rd, OASIS in the 4th, MEDICAL ACCOUNT in the 5th, SKETEL in the 7th and BROTHERLY LOVE in the 8th.