Despite winning the Grade I Oasis Star Sprinters' Cup last year, Attila (China Visit-Al Dente) was dismissed in the latest running of the event, contested over 1,200m here on Saturday, in which he started at 8 to 1. Windsor Manor and Beautiful Stranger disputed the early lead and the latter took command in the straight.
Thereafter a phalanx of challengers emerged, of which Attila made a well-timed move under B. Prakash, and the pair had enough in reserve to peg back the late effort of Sprint Star and Successor. The winner, bred at the Usha Stud, was saddled by Pesi Shroff.
Arabian Prince was fancied to make it a double for last year's winners when he lined up at the start of the Stayers' Cup.
His pacemaker, Camorra shared the early running with Don Valentino, before Allez Vite shaped as a winner.
Under the strongest driving, A. Imran Khan got his mount Swiss Don (Don Micheletto – Swiss Maid) to the front and just held on from Native Knight, who finished like the proverbial train.
It was a rare Stayers' Cup victory for a Hyderabad-based runner — Swiss Don was saddled by Shehzad Abbas and is a product of the Nakul Stud.
