Mumbai: So many classy sprinters grace the western India yards this year, that the S C Jain Sprinters' Championship (grade 2), which is traditionally considered an authentic pointer to the Sprinters' Classic can easily be regarded as a worthy rehearsal of the big race scheduled at Hyderabad next month.

While it is not a surprise that top-form sprinters like Nefyn, Dancing Phoenix and Rosie Sunshine are in the fray, trainer Pesi Shroff has thrown in two of his fillies--Mariinsky and Amelia.

The latter, who authoritatively won last week on this track, will face an acid test when taking on accomplished spinters, but it is the former (winner of several Classic races, the latest being 1000 Guineas) whose presence can drastically alter the pace equation--and perhaps the final result--of the race.