It was in 2005 that the last series of Invitation races was staged at Guindy, the oldest race course in the country. Since then, M.R.C. has declined to host the week-end.  A little before 2005, horses trained at Guindy had stopped venturing to other centres for the Invitation races. M.R.C. thus withdrew itself from the mainstream of Indian racing, confining itself to a small, shallow pond of its own where minnows tried their best to look like mighty sharks. M.R.C. may have acted like a petulant child but the sad part of it is that other Turf Authorities appear not to have done anything to let things come to this pass.

The decision to host the Invitation Cup week-end was taken while Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy, the supremo of Tamil Nadu racing, was still alive. Whether that decision was born out of a desire to see his horse triumph in a big race on his own patch or whether it was a genuine attempt at re-intergrating into the national scene is hard to tell. Merely to host an event will not prove anything. There are event management companies who can organize that sort of a 'do'. Chennai horses will need to venture forth to other centres for Invitation races in the coming years and South India Classics once again attract outstation challenge and become competitive -- and not a private preserve of Chettinad/Sholavaran Stud-bred horses -- are the key areas that will define the approach of the new management.

This year, though, the Invitation races will be held at Chennai and confining ourselves to purely racing aspects, it may be worthwhile to have a look at the past winners of the Invitation races run at Guindy.

INDIAN TURF INVITATION CUP

1965   ESQUIRE  (Fav) (Ardent Knight - Atta Allah)  Mr. & Mrs. A.V. Thomas (S. Hill) (W. Swinburn) Kunigal   13 ran Time 2.39

1968    MOTHER'S BOY (Babbanio - Juliet) Mr. T.G. Gaonkar and Estate of the late Mrs. T.G. Gaonkar (B.L. Shinde)   (S. Smith) Bhopal   10 ran  Time 2.38.8     

1972    PRINCE KHARTOUM (Rock of Gibraltar - Pink Bamboo) Mr. & Mrs. Sanjay (R.R. Byramji) (W. Swinburn) Greenacres  10 ran Time: 2.33

1976   COMMANCHE (Fav) (Valoroso - Centime) M/s. Ranjit V. Bhat & Yogesh M. Shah (R.R. Byramji) (M. Jagdish) Yeravada 12 ran Time 2.34.4

1981   TRACK LIGHTNING (Fav) (Grey Gaston - Traxana) Mr. & Mrs. S.C. Khatau and Partners  (R.R. Byramji) (A. Barclay) Usha 12 ran  Time: 2.30.4   

1986    AMOROUS KNIGHT (Knight of Medina - Glamorous)  Mrs. A.L.J. Talib and Partners (S.S. Shah) (P. Shroff) Paramvir 16 ran Time 2.32.8

1991    DELAGE (Lord Zara - Nauvka) M/s Vijay Mallya & Z.S. Poonawalla  (R.R. Byramji) (L. Piggott) Poonawalla Farms 11 ran 2.30.6

1996    SUPREME CHOICE (Siberian Express - See The Tops) M/s. Umesh Chablani & H.P. Ramchandani (P.M. Corner) (N. Connorton)  Kehelan 11 ran Time 2.34

2001   STORM AGAIN (Fav) (Alnasr Alwasheek - Perchance To Dream) Dr. Vijay Mallya and Partners (J.S. Dhariwal)  (P. Shroff) Poonawalla Farms 12 ran Time 2.29.1

2005   SOUTHERN REGENT (Fav) (Razeen - Allinda) Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy (S. Ganapathy) (B. Prakash) Usha  12 ran  Time 2.28.01  

Favourites  - 5/10

Indian Derby Winners - 4/10 (Prince Khartoum, Commanche, Storm Again and Southern Regent)     

SPRINTERS' CUP

1981   CARNIVAL  (Fav) (4YO) (Grey Gaston - Yoko) Mrs. Imtiaz A. Sait  (Imtiaz A. Sait) (J. Bleasedale)  Usha 14 ran Time 1.13

1986   RECARDO (4YO) (Malvado - Recoup) Mrs. R.M. Shah and Partners (Imtiaz A. Sait) (P. Shroff) Poonawalla Farms  16 ran Time 1.14.4

1991   ICELANDIC (Common Land - Blue Ice) Mrs. P. D'Cruz and Partners (B. Raj) (F. Conway) Usha  13 ran Time 1.12.6

1996   ALBERTINI (4YO) (Tiajuana - Remunerative) Mr. & Mrs. Vijay Mallya (R.R. Byramji) (P. Shroff) Kehelan 10 ran Time 1.11

2001   SYMPHONY OF FIRE (4YO) (Bold Russian - Something Fabulous) Mr. D. Pritam Basappa and Partners (Z. Darashah)  (K.P.G. Appu) Kunigal  10 ran Time 1.11  

2005   BLUE HORIZON (Fav) (4YO) (Placerville - Star Spangled) Mr. Dilip Jhangiani and Partners (Imtiaz A. Sait) (Y.S. Srinath) Poonawalla Farms 15 ran Time 1.10.37

Favourites - 2/6  4YOs - 5/6

STAYERS' CUP

1981  OWN OPINION (Fav) (Simead - Purita) Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy (A.B. David) (M. Jagdish) Bhopal 10 ran Time 3.18

1986  CALIBRE  (Malvado - Resourceful) M/s. J.P. Goenka & Z.S. Poonawalla (R.R. Byramji) Poonawalla Farms 12 ran Time 3.16.8

1991  ZARA SHAH (Lord Zara - Grey Satin) Mr. H.H. Sookias and Partners (J. Stephens) (P.A. Burke) Poonawalla Farms  8 ran Time 3.15.8

1996  MAJESTIC BRAVE (T.V. Sunday - Madame's Gift) Dr. C.H. Naterwalla and Partners (D. Todywalla) (J Egan) Dashmesh 14 ran Time 3.15

2001  ALAMEDA (Steinbeck - Parfait Amour) Mr. D. Khaitan and Estate of late Maj. P.K. Mehra (D.R. Byramji) (Aslam Kader) Usha 13 ran Time 3.11.4

2005  STAR OF WINDSOR (Fav) (Steinbeck - Wandering Star) Dr. M.A. Ramaswamy (S. Ganapathy) (B. Prakash) Usha  9 ran Time 3.7.42 

Favourites - 2/6  4YOs -  Nil

SUPER MILE CUP   

1986  ALLAH RAKHKHA (4YO) (Grey Gaston - Uncle's Pet) Mr. & Mrs. Champaklal Zaveri (S.S. Shah) (V. Shinde) Usha  6 ran Time 1.41.4      

1991  OXFORD BLUE (Fav) (Riyahi - Highland Rule) Dr. M.A.M Ramaswamy (J.H. Foley) Ruia  8 ran Time 1.39.8 

1996  BURNING FIRE (Tocave Botta - Reem) M/s. Umesh Chablani & H.P. Ramchandani) (Vijay Singh) (N. Connorton)  Bin Hussain10 ran Time 1.37.6

2001  ADAMILE (4YO) (Razeen - Climbing High) Mr. D. Khaitan and Estate of late Maj. P.K. Mehra (D.R. Byramji) (Aslam Kader) Usha  10 ran 1.35.4

2005  SPECTACULAR QUEST (4YO) (Placerville - Forest Fantasy) Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy (S. Ganapathy) (B. Prakash) Poonawalla Farms  14 ran Time 1.36.18

Favourites - 1/5  4YOs - 3/5

RECENT RUNNINGS

4. A look at the last ten winners of each of these races may also be informative:-

5. Some tentative conclusions which can be drawn from the above table are:-

*  All the winners of the Invitation Cup so far are 4YOs. A fair race for favourites.

*  Sprinters' Cup.  A fair race for favourites but the older horses hold an upper hand

*  Stayers' Cup. A good race for older horses but not so for the favourites.

*  Super Mile. An excellent race for 4YOs. Favourites open to be toppled over.

PAST THE POST

The very first Invitation Cup at Guindy was actually run twice ! In 1965, there were 13 starters with five locally trained runners and a quartet of challengers from Mumbai and Calcutta. For once, the Team Mumbai was below par with Rose Royal and Sun-Deep, who had won four of the five Indian Classics between them that year declining the invitation.  Rose Royal, winner of the '1000', Oaks and Derby at Mahalakshmi, had problems going into the starting gate and the Gwalior stable preferred to retire her to stud. In the previous two Invitation Cups, the field had been despatched with the traditional tape start so the starting gates were going to be used for the first time to start the big race.  The favourite for the race was the local hero Esquire.

The runners were duly stalled and all set to go but when the Starter pressed the button, only four gates opened and Royal Scot (M. Jagdish), Quentin Durward (P. Shanker), Flora (E.J. Cracknell) and Sabari's Pet (V. Faggotter) took off. A false start was signalled but the four who had got away raced round the complete course with Royal Scot winning. The mechanical failure of the majority of the gates remaining locked is understandable if not condonable. But, it was obvious that the system to recall the wrongly despatched runners was archaic. When the field was re-assembled, Flora and Sabari's Pet opted to withdraw but Royal Scot and Quentin Durward decided to run again despite  having already covered the distance once.

Because of the faulty starting gates, a flag start was employed to get the race underway. (If the Gwalior stable had the third eye to foresee this eventuality, Rose Royal would have been at Guindy and not out in the Manjri paddocks !). The local filly Geetha took them along while Royal Scot and Quentin Durward predictably gave up the ghost halfway through the race. The Indian St. Leger winner Blue Haven, always handy, was sent on rounding the bend by Rajoo but he had no answer to Esquire's smooth stretch run. He plugged on to finish the runner-up ahead of the fillies Om-Sakthi and Fairy Gold.