Padmanabhan trained Classerville who is out of an Oaks winner has the class to make his mark in the Gr 1 Vandrevala Foundation Stayers Cup over the grueling trip of 3000 metres which is slated to be held on Saturday.

The Stayers Cup has an open look about it as barring Conceptual who is the winner of Leger at Bangalore and Hyderabad; the other runners are not proven stayers. Conceptual came into limelight with a victory in the Bangalore St Leger when least expected. She beat the likes of Spark of Gold and Icebreaker on that occasion. Since then Conceptual’s reputation is built as a stayer of repute though she hasn’t won any race since October after winning the Golconda St Leger.

Spark of Gold ran a mighty race when going down to Noble Prince by a whisker in his last effort. He has the experience of going over the Leger trip when he finished second to Conceptual. The 3000 metres trip places an additional premium on his staying ability though his trainer Prasanna Kumar is pretty optimistic about the chances of his ward.

Classerville ran a mighty second Arabian Prince over 2400 metres in record timing. He ran within a week in the Indian Derby where he finished sixth. Stamina should not be a factor with him though how well he runs over a grueling trip, with a front running effort, remains to be seen. The pace of the race is bound to play a crucial role in his chances.

Among the local contenders, Maseeha is a proven customer and his back to back wins have shown that he is at his peak now. However, the 3000 metres trip is bound to test him to the hilt but there is no denying the fact that he runs with a reasonable chance of landing the spoils.

Darius Byramji trained Echoes of Light is a stout stayer and he found his bearings at Kolkata after a controversial stint at Mysore. Echoes of Light is a strong challenger in this race which has traditionally been won by horses form Kolkata. Kolkata horses like Ardiles, Apparitivo have all been winners of the Stayers Cup, the first one being a back to back winner.