In Shakespeare's play, the tragic events at Elsinore unfold in Act V. In the Mysore version, they have come even before the curtain goes up with War Hammer, the Prince of Mysore, not even in the cast of characters. The unfortunate absence of  the unbeaten colt has torn the script to shreds. It is said that War Hammer lost his left fore shoe after crossing the winning post in the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby, Gr.1 and jarred himself while being pulled up. It was then thought to be a very minor mishap but subsequently more serious ramifications have come to fore. The connections have reluctantly had to pull him out of the fray and as of the moment his immediate future is uncertain.

His absence has altered the picture completely and plans of some of the other horses have undergone a change. Those who wanted to avoid a confrontation with the star of the 2016 crop by going for the Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy Stayers' Cup, Gr.1 -- or some other race -- have had a rethink. The Invitation Cup now looks more open and the older horses may well feel that Fate has given them a real opportunity to register a first success in this race.

Spearheading the challenge of the older brigade is the formidable trio of Desert God, Star Superior and Adjudicate. Between the three of them, they have won 13 Gr.1 races, two Indian Derbies and two Invitation Cups. That is a daunting prospect faced by the Classic generation.

In thirteen life-time starts at 2400 m. or more in India, Desert God has been beaten just once. That was in this very race last year at Hyderabad. He finished half a length behind the filly Adjudicate to whom he was giving 3.5 kgs. and he was two and a quarter lengths ahead of Star Superior who carried 2 kgs. less. That is an important equation because this year Desert God and Star Superior carry the same weight while Adjudicate gets only a filly's allowance. Even a novice handicapper will work out that Desert God has the handicap edge. That, of course, assumes that all three horses have maintained their level of form and fitness. 

In the year gone by, Star Superior and Adjudicate clashed thrice after the Invitation Cup and the rig finished ahead of the filly every time. In the Maharaja's Cup, Gr.2, Star Superior was a good five lengths in front but the verdict was just half a length in both the D. Khaitan Memorial Calcutta Gold Cup, Gr.2 and the Indian Champion Cup, Gr.1. In the last mentioned race, Desert God was also a participator and he came in about five lengths off the winner. These form lines suggest that Star Superior, who is unbeaten in his five starts since the last Invitation Cup, holds both Desert God and Adjudicate. There is another dimension that can disrupt the linear form lines and that is the distance of 2400 m.

Star Superior has assiduously avoided racing over a mile and a half for a whole year. It has given him time, built his confidence and now he is ready to bite the bullet. There is some concern about his suitability for a mile and a half contest but he has been given every chance to be at his best on the D-Day. A lot will depend on the pace of the race but his jockey Suraj Narredu knows him like the back of his hand. Star Superior has never been ridden by any one other than Suraj Narredu and it will be the eighteenth time that the two of them come under the Starter's orders. It is hard to recall a longer association between a horse and a jockey at the top end of the sport.

Two consecutive losses by just half a length to Star Superior will not dent the confidence of Adjudicate or her connections. They know that their filly is in fine fettle and they will expect the extended distance to be in her favour.  When she won the Invitation Cup last year, she was being ridden for the very first time by Y.S. Srinath. After that race, the partnership was broken and either Suraj Narredu or A. Sandesh  had the ride on the filly. For her last run in the Indian Champion Cup, Gr.1 at Calcutta, Adjudicate and Srinath were re-united. It did not alter the verdict but it certainly gave the jockey an opportunity to renew his acquaintance with the filly. He has ridden Adjudicate in her winding up work-out and he will be well prepared for the battle on Sunday. 

When Desert God won the Chief Minister's Cup at Bangalore early in January -- giving weight and a three length beating to Salazaar with Point To Prove fourth -- it was his first victory at a distance short of 2200 m. for three and a half years. That seemed to indicate that he was in prime form. Last year, he had chosen the S.M. Shah Eclipse Stakes of India, Gr.2 as his lead-up to the Invitation Cup. This year, he was motored over to Calcutta for the Indian Champion Cup, Gr.1. He started as a warm order only to finish a poor fourth. Last year in Mumbai, he was a four-length second to Smasher. This year in Calcutta, he was five lengths behind Star Superior. He was the favourite in both the races but in neither was he taken to the front which is his winning style of racing. Moreover, he weighed 466 kgs. on his last start, about 10 kgs. over his ideal weight. One can see the pattern here. Incidentally, Salazaar went on to win the S.M. Shah Eclipse Stakes of India, Gr.2 at Mumbai and Point To Prove exploded the petard in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Gr.3 at Calcutta to highlight how good a race this year's Chief Minister's Cup was.

Desert God has had an illustrious career.  He is the highest stakes earner in India. He has won the President of India Gold Cup, Gr.1 thrice. He has more St. Legers to his name than any other horse. He is now eight years old, a venerable 'senior citizen' and surely he must fancy being put out to grass. He would, however, like to bid adieu in a blaze of glory and what better than to become the first horse to win the Invitation Cup twice ? There is another small matter to set right.  Mysore is the only course at which he has raced without winning. It will be interesting to see whether he hits the front when the gates open and how he deals with Consigliori who is also sure to vie for the lead.  

The two other older horses are Salazzar (Burden of Proof - Saddle Star) and My Opinion (Dialed In - Love Me Good). My Opinion had to pull out all stops to land the South India St. Leger, Gr.2 just last Sunday. That exertion in bound to tell. Salazaar was being saved for C.N. Wadia Gold Cup, Gr.2 at Mumbai in March but with War Pammer's absence, the connections have decided to add another arrow to their quiver which already has Consigliori. Salazaar has the calibre but likes to have a rail run and things to generally go his way, He can throw a spanner in the works if in the mood.

The five older horses have an average rating of 118. The average rating of the nine four year-olds is 81. That will always be so because the older horses have had more opportunity to improve their ratings. The difference, however, is significantly substantial. Besides, with the absence of War Hammer, the Classic generation is without a leader. There were three winter Derby winners opposing War Hammer in the Indian Derby. Royal Crystal was prominent for a long while but eventually failed to make the board while Sir Supremo and Trafalgar were anonymous. Royal Crystal has defected for a shot at a longer distance, Trafalgar drops back to a mile and Sir Supremo has no reported track work. That leaves the two fillies, Juliette and Anjeze. Juliette won the Indian Oaks, Gr.1 impressively but the short gap to the Indian Derby probably affected her. The frail filly was still in Mumbai as late as last Sunday and travels late to Mysore. At her best -- for which we have no evidence or clues -- Juliette has the class and stamina to make her presence felt. By default, the task of carrying the flag for the Classic generation falls on Anjeze who has finished closest to War Hammer over 2400 m. She has had her customary light preparation, appears well but faces a real trial by fire. She is the best of her vintage on all -- form, pedigree and fitness -- considerations.

Trouvaille has been admirably consistent, never out of 1-2 in his ten starts except in his Pune lung-opener and despite stamina doubts should run his customary honest race. The connections of Consigliori are perplexed by his poor run at Mumbai and for the moment at least are prepared to overlook it as a bad day at the office. It is hard to see a son of sprinter Gusto -- Northern Alliance -- win a Gr.1 over 2400 m. though he comes from the most successful 'Indian' family. The chances of  dual Classic winner Paso Robles are not enhanced by the Indian Derby performance of Royal Crystal and Consigliori who finished ahead of her at Hyderabad. The trio of Wizard of Stocks, Speedster and Square the Circle have neither a black-type win nor a victory over 2400 m. to their credit and a horse of that description has not won the Invitation Cup in the last seven years.

The average field rating of 94 is the lowest of the "open" era. A very significant fact of those seven renewals is that winner had a victory over 2400 m. to his name but was not the top-rated contestant. The Indian Turf Invitation Cup has now been run 57 times and 20 favourites (35 %) have triumphed horses trained at Mahalakshmi have 28 wins to their credit while those schooled at Bangalore come next with 18. Among the professionals with runners on Sunday, Padmanabhan emerges as the top trainer with five wins while Y.S. Srinath is the leading jockey having ridden three winners.

PAST THE POST

The very first running of this race at Mumabi in 1963 saw the favourite Mount Everest score a thrilling short-head victory over The Leprechaun as the four local runners failed to find a place on the board. In the first renewal at Calcutta, jockey Raghunath lost the stirrup iron on the favourite Prince Pradeep, the colt bolted and lost the race as the local filly Hovercraft -- who had won a 1200 m. race on her previous start -- pulled off an upset. Guindy's first Invitation Cup was a bit of a mess. Some of the stalls did not open, four horses ran the full course, two were withdrawn and when the field was despatched to flag start subsequently, local favourite Esquire won easily.  The first time Bangalore and Hyderabad staged the Invitation Cup, 'got-abroads' Venus de Milo and Columbia, both outsiders, were victorious. They were the first two 'got-abroads' to win the race.

What has Mysore got in store ?