Champion jockey Douglas Whyte will be forced to pick his poison from a wide gate on Gold-Fun in the Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy - push forward and risk being trapped wide, or go back and play to the strengths of his main rival, horse of the year Designs On Rome.

Sunday's Group Two looms as another clash of the stars where not only will Richard Gibson's dual Group One winner carry equal top weight with Designs On Rome, but barrier 10 has left Whyte with a tactical puzzle - one he believes can be solved using Gold-Fun's versatility.

"Sure, he hasn't got the best gate, but he has got tactical speed so we will see how the race unfolds," Whyte said.

"He has the rating now and will have to lump the weight around, until he gets back to level weights. The weight isn't the concern, it's more the gate and obviously other horses like Designs On Rome, who are stepping up to the mile now."

Gold-Fun was superb first-up, bursting through a gap late to steal the Group Three Celebration Cup, but behind him with an ominous third over the unsuitably short 1,400m was Designs On Rome, who should be far better suited at 1,600m.

Whyte suggested that sitting back in the field with Designs On Rome and expecting to outsprint his rival is wishful thinking.

"My horse isn't one dimensional, he can go back or he can go forward, but you don't want to be going back and being too close to Designs On Rome and making a run with him," Whyte said.

"He is the horse to beat. My horse might have better zip than him over seven furlongs, but over a mile and farther he just oozes class."

Gold-Fun is aiming to win back-to-back editions of the race, this time with 10 more pounds on his back, and Gibson said while his preparation has been "straightforward", it has been with an eye on the bigger races in the next two months.

"We've just kept him ticking over," Gibson said. "You are walking a fine line, you want to do as little as possible with them until the international races."

Also looking for a second win in what has become a major pointer to the international races are old rivals California Memory and Ambitious Dragon - who won this event with big weights in 2011 and 2012 respectively, before going on to capture their main December targets.

California Memory's trainer, Tony Cruz, is pleased with his two-time Hong Kong Cup winner and would be content with a slight improvement on an encouraging first-up seventh from the eight-year-old grey.

"I don't expect him to win the race, but he was only two lengths away last time and ran great. This time the extra ground will suit him," said Cruz, who also has Blazing Speed entered.

Blazing Speed was ninth in the Celebration Cup, which on face value was a disappointing performance.