The three-year-old son of Dynasty (a grandson of Sadler’s Wells) looked way better than his rating when landing a massive gamble in a minor handicap on Met day at the beginning of February.

Those looking for the Durban July winner really took note when one of the leading bookmakers defended his short price by saying he had heard that the horse was better than high class stable companion Captain America.

Trainer Brett Crawford fuelled the fire by adding that his main aim was “to get him into the July with the lowest possible weight.”

The colt was only third in the great race but he certainly made amends in the Group 1 weight-for-age, striding clear at the furlong marker to score so impressively that the handicappers raised him 8lb to 113, second only to Cape Derby and July winner Legislate.

“He has improved with each and every start, and that has been reflected in his rating - every time he has run he has gone up,” said Crawford.

“When he first arrived in Durban four months ago he was immature but since then he has strengthened up and last Saturday he looked an absolute picture.

“Next season his two main missions will be the Queen’s Plate and the J & B Met. I don’t see why he shouldn’t have the pace for the mile of the Queen’s Plate. He is a very versatile horse as the good ones invariably are.”

FLAG FLYING

Crawford and stable jockey Glen Hatt also won last Saturday’s Gold Cup with Wavin’ Flag, a son of the Arlington Million winner Silvano, but the country’s greatest staying race is a handicap and the four-year-old carried only 8st 5lb.

Hot Ticket, on the other hand, shouldered the statistically impossible 9st 7lb - no horse has ever won this two-miler carrying more than 9st 1lb - but the 9/2 favourite still covered himself with glory by coming from a long way back to finish fourth after encountering severe traffic problems early on.

“It was rough and he got badly bowled going behind the golf club at the first corner,” said trainer Dean Kannemeyer.