Ms. Phils. a favorite in Miss World 2005

SANYA, China - Miss Philippines Carlene Aguillar was the odds on favorite Friday to win the Miss World 2005 contest, with the world's top bookies nearly unanimously picking her to win the coveted title.

Over 100 women from around the world will vie for the 2005 beauty crown when Saturday's final is beamed globally to an expected audience of up to two billion people from southern China's tropical Hainan island.

Some of England's best known bookmakers - including Ladbrokes, SportingOdds and Centrebet - all had Miss Philippines winning the title at 4-to-1 odds, according to the bestbetting.co.uk website.

Miss Philippines was followed by Miss Canada Ramona Rina Amiri at between 11-1 and 12-1, Miss Iceland Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir at between 12-1 and 14-1, and Miss Italy Sofia Buscoli at between 11-1 and 14-to-1.

Miss China Zhao Tingting was not among the front-runners despite being a home-town favorite, rating between 16-to-1 and 50-to-1 by the three bookmakers.

The US-based Sportsbook.com also favored Miss Philippines and Miss Italy, both at 12-to-1 odds, followed by Miss Canada and Miss England Hamassa Khoistani.

Twelve finalists chosen by global voting to be named Saturday will compete for the crown against Miss Russia Yulia Ivanova, who this week won the bathing suit contest, and Miss America Virgin Islands Kmisha-Victoria Counts, who won the talent show contest.

One more finalist, who has yet to be named, will be the winner of the "Beauty With A Purpose" contest, which is based on the charity activities of the contestants.

For the first-time in the pageant's 55-year history, the panel of judges to choose Miss World 2005 and the regional winners will all be former Miss Worlds. (AFP)