REGAL SELECTION's smashing seven-length win on December 17 at a mile makes him hard to beat in tomorrow's CTL Fan Appreciation Day Trophy over 11 furlongs.

The annual circuit race in which the runners start at the two-furlong point, shares the stage with the traditional New Year's Day Trophy, a six-and-a-half furlong event which has Wayne DaCosta's duo of THE GUARDIAN and FOREVER MINE, alongside FLAGAMAN and HOMBRE, as the top contenders.

Morris Powell's REGAL SELECTION, runner-up to JOSIE WALES in the 2007 Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, clocked 1:38.0, dismissing HOMBRE and STAR OF THE SEA on last.

IL CAIMANO, who finished last in the Boxing Day Harry Jackson Memorial at 12 furlongs could the main threat to REGAL SELECTION.

The five-year-old horse returns rather soon for back-to-back long distance races. However, Friday's effort among graded stakes horses could have been a warm-up for IL CAIMANO, who ran a cracker in October's Governor General's Stakes, going down third by a half-length to subsequent Superstakes winner AD INFINITUM and PRIME MINISTER.

IL CAIMANO, the 2007 Governor's Cup, also ran well for third in an open allowance race behind SLOGAN and LIKKLE BIT on November 26, four days after extending SATISFIER in overnight allowance, losing by a half-length at 1700 metres.

However, IL CAIMANO continues to train mainly in the equine pool, whereas REGAL SELECTION appears sounder with every race and should be comfortable with every furlong of the race.

Powell's runner galloped 1:14.3 for six furlongs on Christmas eve and appears to have got over his habit of running wide at the bend.

REGAL SELECTION is not too heavy at 53.0 kilos to have Shane Ellis biding his time down the backstretch before making a stretch run off the turn.

Meanwhile, the New Year's Day Trophy should be won by THE GUARDIAN, one of two entries from the barn of champion trainer DaCosta.

A disqualified winner on December 6, THE GUARDIAN looks a bit stretched out at the distance of 1300 metres but his mid-race pace, if rated kindly, should take him away from the field down the backstretch and into the lane.

FLAGAMAN won at 1300 metres on December 20, beating PLEASURE FLIGHT by a neck among non-winners-of-three. He was rated well by Shane Ellis in that race among non-winners-of-three but comes up against superior pace and should be asked to run earlier, which could be detrimental when asked to find extra inside the final half-furlong.

FOREVER MINE, who, similar to FLAGAMAN, is also up in class but could be the bogey horse. He ran on well to beat PLEASURE FLIGHT at 1500 metres on December 13 and will be sitting in the catbird seat with Winston Griffiths, waiting on the leaders to quit.

However, he reports 11 pounds heavier than his last run and could arrive too late to catch THE GUARDIAN, who finished second to MINISTEROFJUSTICE in his five-furlong straight track record run on November 22.

THE GUARDIAN should frank the form of MINISTEROFJUSTICE, who won his next race, beating subsequent winner SHE'S OUTRAGEOUS and was narrowly beaten by WHEEL N DEAL in Saturday's Pringle Cup.