The stars step out in the Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m) this afternoon at Sha Tin but it is the stars of the rising variety which promise to dominate the race with John Size-trained Contentment first among them.

Resuming for the new campaign are established Group One performers Blazing Speed, Military Attack and Helene Super Star, and others like Dan Excel, Beauty Flame, Rewarding Star and Dominant are back after having had a race or two.

However, history shows that the highly weighted runners find it tough to beat the up and coming types in these Group handicaps and today should be no different as Contentment (Joao Moreira) and Beauty Only (Neil Callan) present their credentials for the international assignments to come and it is the classic four-year-old form from last term that should prove the strongest pointer.

Both horses have had a recent race, with Contentment beating another rival today, Giant Treasure (Douglas Whyte), by half a length and Beauty Only raced wide before claiming his Class One.

Both of those races were at 1,400m, today's extra distance holds no fears for either horse and there is little between them, but perhaps the thing that could swing things Contentment's way is his tactical abilities.

Beauty Flame, a stable and owner mate to Beauty Only, is the established leader in the race so he has some serious influence on the tempo and it all revolves around how easily he gets there and what jockey Alvin Ng Ka-chun does when he gets there.

There seems little doubt Beauty Flame will attempt to lead and, as he slides forward from gate eight, Moreira may follow him over from gate 12, as the horses between them - Blazing Speed and Helene Happy Star - look unlikely to stop him doing so.

That parks Contentment outside the leader's hindquarters and, in this situation previously, Beauty Flame has settled into an even sort of speed.

If he does so again, and doesn't overtax himself or Contentment, then Beauty Flame is a solid enough conveyance to take them both deep into the stretch before run-on horses become a factor.

That's the role that Beauty Only will play. His draw looks to plant him in midfield and a fast pace might see him too strong at the finish - any other sort of tempo and the Size horse should be clinging on but he won't have a lot to spare whatever happens.

Of the remainder, Giant Treasure's draw is a major problem but he must be respected with no weight while it wouldn't surprise to see Dan Excel (Chad Schofield) the best of the topweights after an excellent first-up effort behind Contentment.