PALACE GOLD is the controlling speed with champion jockey Dick Cardenas when she faces eight rivals at 1000 metres straight in tomorrow's overnight-allowance for the George HoSang trophy.

She is actually down in class after her last effort, a third-place open-allowance finish behind United States-bred RIO COBRE and the speedy SARAGOSSA on February 18.

The Howard Jaghai-trained filly held third throughout, chasing fast splits of 22.2 and 45.2 in back-to-back 1000-metre straight defeats against RIO COBRE.

In both races, PALACE GOLD had to be chasing the speed from the start, not allowed to settle on the bridle.

However, tomorrow should be to her liking as she should be the lone speed, in slower splits, for the first three furlongs before quickening inside the last quarter.

SI PUEDO is drawn well on the stands side but is too heavy at 56.0 kilos to match PALACE GOLD for speed.

The horse to watch must be THE GUARDIAN, who is a strong run-on sprinter and has looked rather sharp under the care of Victor Williams since claimed from Gary Subratie in December.

On January 28, THE GUARDIAN closed really fast at 1000 metres straight, after a scrappy start, to get within a quarter length of PALACE GOLD, who was third behind RIO COBRE and WORKING IMAGE.

In two subsequent races, THE GUARDIAN again ran well, beaten by NEW KINGSTON and BLAST THEM AWAY, at 1000 and 1300 metres, respectively, in overnight allowance.

However, at seven, he should find four-year-old PALACE GOLD too quick to follow coming on to the main track.

In addition, with no matching speed to take her off her bridle before she is ready to run, Jaghai's speedy filly should have things her way from gate to wire.

Cardenas should also win tomorrow's first race with RUN CHARM RUN, even though the distance appears tailor-made for ante-post favourite LIVE WATER with Omar Walker.

LIVE WATER is bound to be on the lead but should have company with the likes of FOREVER MINE and others pressing. This should give RUN CHARM RUN time to bubble to the boil under Cardenas and pounce in the straight.

Walker could very well emerge the day's leading rider as he looks good aboard PLEASURE TRAIN in the third, SUNDOWN in the fourth and MISS MAY in the sixth.

Anthony Nunes' AQUAMOTO has been burning up the exercise track after missing the recent Sir Howard Stakes and will start favourite to win the third at 1300 metres.

However, the filly PLEASURE TRAIN proved her worth with a strong win at 1100 metres on February 18 following her second-place finish behind TRINITHETUTOR, who returned to land the Hotline Stakes in 1:13.0.