In the Invitation Cup era, five winners of that race have remained unbeaten during their Classic year.  It started with Squanderer in 1976-77. Revelation (1984-85), Exhilaration (1988-89), Adler (1992-93) and Smart Chieftan (1999-2000) emulated Squanderer later on. Revelation and Smart Chieftan did not run during the summer/monsoon seasons and so they did not face older horses. The Indian St. Leger was Squanderer's ninth -- and last -- start of his Classic year and he held his perennial rival Wild Blossom on a soggy Pune track to keep his slate clean for the year.

Desert God arrives for Sunday's race with a string of eight consecutive wins in 2015-16 and a chance to match the great Squanderer's record. Desert God, like Squanderer, has beaten older horses and comes to Pune for his first run on the course on the back of a victory in the President of India Gold Cup, Gr.1. Squanderer had not been beaten under Vasant Shinde and neither has A. Sandesh lost on Desert God.  In the early days of the Invitation Cup, the St. Leger used to be run before the Invitation Cup. The shift to Pune enabled more Invitation Cup winners to participate with 28 of them lining up in 46 renewals. 18 Invitation Cup winners have added the St. Leger to their CV while ten -- Manitou, Columbia, Desert Warrior, Running Flame, Simply Supreme, Southern Regent , Sweeping Success, Becket (lost to stablemate Change of Luck), Tintinnabulation and Alaindair -- failed to do so.

Desert God is the only Classic winner in the field and the only runner with a win over the distance but he is not the highest rated.  Of course, it has happened before. In 2013, An Acquired Taste was  rated higher than Classic winners Tintinnabulation (Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1 and Deccan Bookmakers Golconda Derby, Gr.1) , Wind Stream  (Poonawalla Mysore Derby, Gr.1) and Borsalino (Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 and Vijay Textiles Deccan Derby, Gr.1). It has to be admitted that on that occasion the ratings proved to be absolutely spot on and Altamash Ahmed-trained An Acquired Taste slammed the field by almost a distance in a new race record time. In fact, in the last five renewals since the Leger returned to Pune for the third time, the top-rated runner has always won.

The highest rated runner this year is Colombiana (Noverre - Wonder Smile). A winner of five races including three black-type contests, the Sohna Stud-bred colt has twice crossed swords with Desert God and come out wounded. Desert God beat him by half a length in the Deccan Colts' Championship Stakes, Gr.3 and finished a good seven and a half lengths ahead of him in the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby, Gr.1.  Colombiana, who like Quasar last year is trained by Malesh Narredu, has never won beyond 2000 m. His sire was a top class miler. The average winning distance of his progeny abroad where he had a long tenure is only 1580 m. In India, he was moderately successful with Colombiana and Commander (Nanoli Stud Pune Derby, Gr.1) winning black-type races over 2000 m. Wonder Smile, the dam of Colombiana, did win the Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2 over 2400 m. and comes from Aga Khan's celebrated Mumtaz Mahal family. Colombiana's owners have paid a final entry to let the colt run; they also own Setaflame, a winner of the Calcutta St. Leger, Gr.3, who may have been a better choice over the trip. Setaflame was just over two lengths behind Desert God in the Calcutta Derby, Gr.1.

If there are doubts about Colombiana's lung power, there are none as far as the filly Phenomenal Memory (Glory of Dancer - Phenomenale) is concerned. Three of her four wins have come over 2400 m. and the only time she has lost over the distance was when Jigsaw (Archipenko - Silk Runner) headed her in Mumbai giving 7 kgs. Since then she has won all her starts over a mile and a half. Jigsaw, on the other hand, was a tame fifth in the Golconda Derby, Gr.1.  Like Colombiana's sire Noverre, Glory of Dancer is no more. Glory of Dancer sired the back-to-back Indian Derby winners in Hotstepper and Antonios with the latter winning this very race in Pune. Phenomenale, a daughter of the confirmed staying influence Montjeu, won the Nanoli Stud Pune Derby, Gr.1. Phenomenal Memory is from the immediate family of Aga Khan's Arc winner Sinndar so she will relish the extended trip. Her Whatsthescript younger half-brother Germanicus won a good race just last Sunday. What she and Jigsaw -- who will carry the same silks as last year's winner Quasar -- need to demonstrate is that they have the class to mix it up at the highest level. Talking of colours, Phenomenal Memory will be in the same livery as Linden Flora back in 1978 which gave the Poonawallas their first Indian Classic victory. Fillies Change of Luck, In The Spotlight and Amazing Grace have won in alternate years of late so Phenomenal Memory, the only filly in the race, must be hopeful.

Other than Colombiana and Desert God, the only other runner with a three figure rating is B Fifty Two (Phoenix Tower - Baileys on Line). He has two handicap wins over 2000 m. and comes from  Reg Hollingshead developed Felucca family which has a number of good wins over staying distances. The fly in the ointment in his case is the sire Phoenix Tower, an excellent winner producer over shorter distances but somewhat suspect when it comes to true tests of stamina. A line through Azzuro gives Desert God much leeway over B Fifty Two at level weights. Severus (Cockney Rebel - Love Emerald) is a son of a Two Thousand Guineas winner and one of his two wins is over 2400 m.. His unraced dam was bought for just 2,500 gns. at Newmarket in December 2011 .and she was a steal at that price for she is out of a three-parts sister to Mr. Prospector. Love Emerald has produced four winners abroad with one winning a mile Listed race in Sweden and another scoring over 2400 m. in the same country. Love Emerald died after being covered by Kingda Ka. Uncle Scrooge (Authorised - Yesteryear) has a rating which is only half of Colombiana's. He has won over 2400 m., his sire is an Epsom Derby winning son of Montjeu  and he comes from an elite Juddmonte family. For all that, Severus and Uncle Scrooge, appear to be out of their depth in this contest. Besides, they have common owners so one of the two may be a pacemaker.

Some historical parallels in the lead-up to the St. Leger between Squanderer and Desert God have been mentioned but it is in no way intended as a comparison. It is premature to judge Desert God who is still in training and comparisons between horses of different eras are always subjective. There would be not be much of a debate, though, if a simple criteria for judging greatness is laid down. Firstly, a horse must prove himself to be the best of his generation. Then, he must compete against older horses and beat them. Lastly, and most importantly, he must give weight and a beating to younger horses. Desert God's eight wins in the current year have a combined winning margin of just over 10 lengths. Some see his narrow victories as a sign of frailty; others could point out that good horses are also intelligent and often do no more than what is required to win.

The average rating of field is 96.3 and it is significantly below the average of last five years which is 102.8. Favourites have won four of the last five runnings. Desert God is certain to start as a very short on-money favourite. There has been some rain around Pune and a thunderstorm has been forecast for Sunday. The going may add another dimension to the race. This is not a race to wager but it could well be one to savour.

PAST THE POST

During the Winter Season, Quasar was honoured at Mahalakshmi for becoming the highest stakes earner of the Indian Turf.  The record of being the highest stakes earner is a short-lived one. When Squanderer became India's first equine millionaire in mid-1970s, it looked a staggering achievement. Since then hundreds of horses have grossed more than a million rupees in stakes and it is debatable how many -- if any-- of them were better than the Yeravada-bred son of Valoroso.

We are still in the same calendar year and Quasar's record has already been eclipsed by Desert God. Desert God will be in Pune on Sunday. Hopefully, R.W.I.T.C., Ltd. has planned something suitable to proclaim the colt's feat.

Dosage Index is often used as a tool to determine the staying prowess of a horse. The runner with the joint highest dosage index -- and hence least stamina -- in Sunday's big race is Desert God (DI 3.00, same as Severus) who has already won over 2800 m. beating a good stayer in Azzuro by the second longest winning margin of his career. Food for thought and if digested well the obvious conclusion that all theories, formulae and calculations are not fool proof.

An additional incentive for Desert God is that his dam won this race in 1999 but lost it in the Stewards' Room following a successful objection by Saddle Up. There is a score to be settled.