The inaugural Super Mile was run in 1983 when Hyderabad hosted the Invitation Cup week-end for the first time and it was won by 10 to 4 on hot favourite Camino who was owned by the Khataus and trained by R.R. Byramji. Stephen Craine took the chestnut gelding to the front as soon as the gates opened and he was never headed, coming home two lengths clear of Beat The Clock despite being eased down in the closing stages. Camino and Beat The Clock were bred at the Usha Stud. Major P.K. Mehra, who founded the Usha Stud in Gurgaon in 1973, would hardly have known then that this race would, in time, become a memorial for him.

Though he did win over longer distances, the mile was Camino's ideal trip. He had won the Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1 earlier. He was the first of 17 four year-olds to win this race in 30 renewals and the first of 10 Classic winning milers. He won as a favourite should but since then only six other favourites have done so. It is not a good race for favourites nor for fillies who have won it just five times. The race usually sees a congregation of Classic milers and is very competitive with 10 runnings resulting in a photo-finish.

This year, a dozen runners will vie for the honours. The edge is slightly in favour of older horses who have seven representatives including four Classic winning milers while the Classic crop has just five runners with Godspeed being the sole Classic winning miler. The odds are stacked against the Classic crop.

Godspeed has won five her seven races and has failed to hit the board just once. That was on her last start when she ran a stinker in the Villoo Poonawalla Indian Oaks, Gr.1. It was the first time she was going over a mile and a half and she may have found the distance unsuitable. Usually a free runner, she was restrained in the Oaks, either because she was off colour on the day or by design and appeared simply not at the races. Prior to that she had scored a fighting win over Maisha in the New Hope Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1. Generally, when a Guineas winner fails in the Oaks and then reverts back to shorter trips, a run or two is required to regain the earlier verve. What is in Godspeed's favour, though, is that her stable is in such a rich vein of form in big races.

Zachary won the S.A. Poonawalla Multi-Million, Gr.2 in such a taking style that he had his supporters in the Nanoli Stud Pune Derby, Gr.1. He ran out of puff after being prominent for much of the race, the distance being clearly more than he wanted to travel. He was second to Be Safe in the ABV Nucleas Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1, beaten less than three lengths and that is the closest anyone has finished to Dr. Ramaswamy's colt since he resumed his winning ways in Bangalore. After that he has won the R.N. Kanga Gold Cup, Gr.3 with ease, giving weight to the Calcutta challenger Mr Gorgeous. All four wins of Zachary have been over a mile and like Godspeed he is a course and distance winner. He appears the likely flag bearer for the Classic generation. P. Trevor is the declared jockey on Zachary. Trevor is retained by Dr. Mallya whose Acclaimed will be ridden by S. Zervan. Read what you can in those jockey bookings.

Shivalik Storm finished behind his pacemaker Shivalik Showers in the McDowell Signature Indian Derby, Gr.1 and is without a winning bracket for over a year. Nerves of Steel comes from Hyderabad without having yet known what his ideal trip is. His three wins have come over 1400 m., 1600 m. and 2200 m. It would appear that he is punching above his weight in this Gr.1 event. Also, like Godspeed and Shivalik Storm, his last start was over 2400 m. so he is dropping in distance.

There are seven older horses competing including four who are winners of a mile Classic. However, one older horse who had this race at his mercy will be running in the Invitation Cup. That is Snowdrift whose last two wins in Calcutta with Circle of Life behind him had a stamp of authority. He is not a true mile and a half horse and it is hard to see him taking a hand in the finish of the Invitation Cup. Calcutta horses of late seem to leave their galloping shoes at home when they venture out.

Being an older filly who never won a mile Classic goes against the chances of Circle of Bliss. A model of consistency who has failed just once in 17 starts  to get her number in the frame (that was in Alaindair's Invitation Cup last year at Hyderabad where she was fifth), the daughter of Singspiel has competed at the highest level and invariably found one or two in the field who were superior. Though this is a Gr.1 contest, the field isn't too hot and and she has as much a shout as anyone else in this race. Richard Hughes will be flying out from England to ride her and you can be sure that it is not just to escape the cold of late winter. Hughes is well acquainted with the mare having ridden her during her Classic campaign last year.

Machiavellianism won the Nakshtra Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1 over course and distance in 2012 and he was fourth in this race last year on his home turf in Amelia's race where the first five horses were crammed in less than two lengths. Consistent and well travelled, this race would have been his obvious target for the year and he can be relied to give a run for the money. Machiavellianism was shocked by Maximus in the Deccan Bookmakers' Golconda 2000 Guineas, Gr.2. On his last start Maximus clung on to lower the colours of odds-on favourite Maisha over a sprint and on that running he comes out level with Godspeed. Godspeed and Maximus carry the same colours so his exact role in this race is not very clear. Besides, he would have run in the Sprinters' Cup the previous day. Overall, the sparingly raced Maximus -- he has had only 10 starts in almost three years of racing - doesn't look a likely Gr.1 winner.

Acclaimed won the Deccan Bookmakers' Hyderabad Colts' Championship Stakes, Gr.3 in 2013 but he has been beaten by Arrogant Approach and Field Marshal in his recent starts. He might have been saving his best for this race but his Bangalore compatriots seem to hold the edge on pure form. The versatile Field Marshal - he has won from 1200 m. to 2000 m. - is the oldest runner in the field. Having won the 2000 Guineas at Mysore and Bangalore, one could say that he is probably most effective at a mile. At his happiest when making the running, all his seven wins have come in the second half of a calendar year and perhaps he prefers a bit of give in the ground. The going on Sunday is certain to be firm.

Arrogant Approach (Carnival Dancer - Passion To Perform) comes into this race with a winning hat-trick and Acclaimed behind him in the last two races. Towards the end of last racing year, Arrogant Approach ran a good second to Pursuit of Fame in the Golconda St. Leger, Gr.2 over 2800 m. Since then he has won over 1400 m. twice and over a mile on his last start. His dam won the D.B.A. Hyderabad Fillies' Trial Stakes in her time for the former Test umpire Mr. A.V. Jayaprakash in whose colours Arrogant Approach will run. Arrogant Approach is clearly on the upgrade. He was bred at Dashmesh Stud which once had a commanding presence at Mahalakshmi. It will be nice to see a good run from Arrogant Approach.

Mr. Diwan Arun Nanda has been in racing as an owner for over four decades and is enjoying a belated good run at the moment. His Shaktiroop is trained by Arti Doctor and the only lady to saddle a Classic winner in India will be back at the course where she made history. Shaktiroop has more wins over 1400 m. to her name and the Mahalakshmi mile is a stiff task. Arti Doctor would obviously know that because Wild Eagle won over it.

 PAST THE POST

Maj P.K. Mehra's first entry into the world of Indian breeding came in 1965. That year, as a young captain in the 61st Cavalry, he imported the broodmare Eagle Don in foal to Entanglement. Eagle Don produced a filly in 1966 which was bought by Mr. G. Venkateshwara Rao,a leading breeder of those days. The filly was named Mica Express and won the South India Oaks, Gr.2 for her owner.

Continuing as a private breeder, Maj Mehra then imported Nut, Traxana and Dusty Marta. Nut became the dam of Sun Prince who bagged the Indian 2000 Guineas, Gr.1 while Traxana produced Track Star who won 10 of his 11 starts and ended his career with a win the Eclipse Stakes of India, Gr.3.

Maj Mehra set up the Usha Stud & Agricultural Farm in 1973 and the first mare to foal there was Dusty Marta. That foal came to be called Manitou who won the 1978 Indian Derby, Gr.1 by a distance in record time. The winning margin has not been bettered.