In The Spotlight is certain to be the cynosure of all eyes for the main race of the week-end and will be an overwhelming favourite. The other three Gr.1 races, however, are wide open and interesting.

Before coming to each race individually, it is pertinent to point out that in the last ten years, horses saddled by trainers based at Bangalore and Mumbai have won 39 of the 40 Gr.1 races run over the week-end. Bangalore leads Mumbai 20-19 and the lone Kolkata victory stands to the credit of Vijay Singh who sent out Aperitivo to win the Stayers' Cup in 2007. Fire Arch, trained by L.V.R. Deshmukh, won the Sprinters' Cup at Bangalore in 1997; since then no Hyderabad-based trainer has had a big winner at the week-end.

SPRINTERS' CUP

There are 18 runners for the Oasis Star Sprinters' Cup, Gr.1 and they include four - Kohinoor Wish, Sprint Star, Dandified and Lovely Kiss - who are also in the nominations for the Maj. P.K. Mehra Memorial Super Mile, Gr.1 on Sunday. Dandified is also nominated for the Invitation Cup and has an entry in another race. The son of Rebuttal has suffered two defeats in his career of 10 starts; first, when the moderate Elena beat him over 1100 m. and then when going down tamely to In The Spotlight in the Calcutta Derby over 2400 m. It is to be hoped that Dandified chooses the Super Mile as his sole target for the week-end because that is where his best chance of a victory lies. That also holds good for the other three but one or two of them may attempt the double.

Only three four year-olds have won the Sprinters' Cup in the last ten years. The six four year-olds in this year's nominations are Dandified, Secret Punch, Win Again, Lovely Kiss, Silken Touch and Windsor Manor. None of these six have displayed the consistency, class and pure speed that Blue Horizon, Haunting Memories and Oasis Star had demonstrated and they will have their work cut out against seasoned older sprinters. They will be running at longer odds which will probably reflect a realistic assessment of their winning chance.

The best pointer to the Sprinters' Cup is the Dr. S.C. Jain Sprinters' Trophy, Gr.2 run at Mahalaksmhi on Sunday after the Indian Derby. In the last ten years, three winners of the Sprinters' Cup had picked up that race in their previous start. What's more, a winner of the Dr. S.C. Jain Sprinters' Trophy has never been off-the-board in the Sprinters' Cup. Looked at the other way around, seven winners of the Sprinters' Cup had their previous start in the Dr. S.C. Jain Sprinters' Trophy.

This year, Forest Flair won the Dr. S.C. Jain Sprinters' Trophy, his second in three years, with Bespoke, Ancient Wonder and Beautiful Stranger not very far away. Attila, who is defending his crown, was among the also rans but then it has to be remembered that he was unplaced in the same race last year as well.  Forest Flair has placed twice before in the Sprinters' Cup as had his dam in her time. Bespoke, having worked her way up the ranks, ran for the first time in a black-type race and was a creditable second. She is a gutsy mare who gives her all when she gets into a set-to. Ancient Wonder didn't get a timely opening though it is fair to say that 1400 m. suits him a bit better than 1200 m. and the same can perhaps be said of Beautiful Stranger.

Ideally, the vote should go to a pure sprinter as opposed to a sprinter-miler. The pure sprinters in this year's likely line-up are Attila, Forest Flair, Bespoke and Successor while Sprint Star, Lovely Kiss and Beautiful Stranger are more of sprinter-milers with Ancient Wonder falling between the two stools.

STAYERS' CUP

Eight favourites, including one joint favourite, and eight older horses winning in the last ten years clearly shows which way the dice is loaded. There are 15 nominations but it will be a surprise if Royal Blue Star, who won the Calcutta St. Leger, Gr.3 last Saturday and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Gr.3 a fortnight prior to that, journeys to Bangalore and lines up for the race. Apart from him, there are five other representatives of the Classic crop none whom is rated over 100 and none has a victory beyond 2000 m. in their career record.

The late Maj P.K.Mehra once said that he didn't mind if he bred no winners of the Stayers' Cup as long as he had winners of the Sprinters' Cup and the Super Mile aplenty. In the last ten years, Usha Stud has just one winner of the Super Mile and two of the Sprinters' Cup while three winners of the Stayers' Cup have seen the light of the day at Usha Stud. And, the two leading contenders for this year's race - Arabian Prince and Macchupicchu - are both Usha-born. One wonders what his reaction to these facts would have been!

Arabian Prince (Burden of Proof - Arabian Rose), the highest rated stayer in the field, is attempting to become the first horse since Ardiles (1987, 1988) to win back to back Stayers' Cups. He has won his Trial over 2400 m. quite convincingly and has the 'home turf' advantage. His Brave Act half-brother Arabian Knight is also a winner of the Stayers' Cup and there are no doubts whatsoever about his getting the trip because he has already done so.

The threat to him comes from the Indian St. Leger, Gr.1 winner Macchupicchu (Emerald Cat - Anaroma).  He has raced just twice since that win and was on board both the times over distances too short; first over 2000 m. in Pune and then over a mile in Mumbai. He has been sharpened with a mock race over 2000 m. - the time of 2.06 indicating that it was solidly run - in Mumbai before travelling down to Bangalore. He is fresh and a year younger to Arabian Prince. The dams of Arabian Prince and Macchupicchu are three-parts sisters. That is where the stamina comes from. Self Reliance, grandam of Arabian Prince and the third dam of Macchupicchu, was a winner of the South India St. Leger, Gr.1 in Maj Mehra's colours, winning the race in a record time.

Native Knight has been twice on the board in the two previous Invitation Cup week-ends. In the Invitation Cup itself in 2010 and in the Stayers' Cup last year. He is a winner of the Eclipse Stakes of India, Gr.2 and the Byculla Club Cup (over 2800 m.) this season so obviously in fine form. Four year-old Swiss Don was a fast finishing second to Southern Bay in the Vijay Textiles Golconda Derby, Gr.1 where Ridgeway and Surya Lakshmi finished just behind him. Southern Bay, Ridgeway and Surya Lakshmi are in the Invitation Cup nominations so the presumption is that the connections of Swiss Don must have requested for a nomination to the Stayers' Cup. Bypassing the Invitation Cup for a crack at the Stayers' Cup is a very definite pointer and it is backed by Swiss Don's staying pedigree. Native Knight and Swiss Don look the most likely surprise packets along with Arabian Prince's bracket-mate Allez Vite, the Golconda St. Leger, Gr.2 winner.

SUPER MILE

Though there are 17 nominated runners for the Super Mile, half a dozen of them also hold other entries and may opt to run in a lesser - though not necessarily less competitive - race. Of the three Gr.1 races in the week-end's under card, Super Mile is the race where the Classic crop has had most success having won five of the last ten renewals. There are eight four year-old nominated for this year's running and five of them - Dandified, Field Marshal, Alma Mater, Lovely Kiss and Practicallyperfect - are Classic winners over a mile.

Lovely Kiss looked a good filly when she won the Bangalore Fillies' Championship, Gr.1 in the summer but the form that race hasn't worked out well. Besides, she hasn't run well in Classic company since then and her last run was the Southern Bay's Bangalore 1000 Guineas, Gr.2 in November. She may be fresh but surely not sharp enough for a contest such as this one. Practicallyperfect hasn't won since surprising in the Hyderabad Fillies' Championship, Gr.3. She has run reasonably in her subsequent starts though her last effort was an unplaced one in Bangalore Derby, Gr.1. Neither of the two fillies looks a likely winner of the Super Mile.

Dandified was once spoken of as a horse who could run on water. His aura faded appreciably when humbled by In The Spotlight in the Eveready Calcutta Derby, Gr.1. He is obviously a good horse but the Calcutta form is always suspect. Dandified holds entries in more races than any other horse over the week-end. It is to be hoped that he takes his chance in the Super Mile alone to the exclusion of all other options.

There are reports that Field Marshal met with some mishap in the stalls at the start of the Indian Derby and was distressed after the race. On pedigree, a mile is perhaps his best distance and if he has recovered well, he must have a bright chance. He goes to the front and that will ensure that he has no traffic problems for there are too many no-hopers in the field who could be an hinderance. That is something which Alma Mater will have to contend with for she comes from behind. Her connections were very much aware that she was running out of her distance in the Indian Oaks. However, as the Oaks field looked singularly lacking in staying fillies, they decided to take the plunge. Alma Mater finished way behind Smashing in the Oaks but is now returning to her ideal trip. Cardinal has run consistent races upto 2000 m. and he is another one returning to a more appropriate distance. Over the last few years, the Shirke colours have been very much to the fore in big races. So, if you go with Cardinal, you will be swimming with the tide. Field Marshal, Alma Mater and Cardinal appear to be the trio on whom the hopes of the Classic brigade will rest.

Amongst the older horses, Aristos, Dear Henry and String Along go into the race with a win over a mile in their previous starts. Immense hasn't won over a mile since he was a three year-old while the ultra consistent Sprint Star - perhaps a better miler than a sprinter - needs a little bit of luck to come up with a winning run. He was fifth in the Sprinters' Cup as well as Super Mile in 2010 and fourth in the latter race last year. String Along and Spearhead have won black-type races over 2400 m. so will find it difficult against specialist milers, especially the younger ones.

PAST THE POST

The weather changes appreciably in mid-February when the horses travel to the centre hosting the Invitation Cup. Each horse reacts differently to travel stress and then having to adjust to a different track. As has been noted earlier, the Invitation Cup week-end is a face-off between Mumbai-based trainers and their Bangalore counterparts. Previous statistics clearly show that there is a distinct "home" advantage. At Bangalore, the home team has a 65 % strike rate.