SOQRAT gatecrashed Cape Town during the summer and came back with an augmented status. He won the Grade 1 Cape Guineas and was touched off just short of the line by Do It Again in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, writes JACK MILNER of TAB News.

This Australian-bred colt is clearly a top miler and will be aimed at the Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein and the Gold Challenge at Greyville, both Grade 1s. But it all starts on Saturday when he contests the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m.

In every aspect but one, he looks hard to beat. He is the best-handicapped horse by at least 3.5kg, is the only dual Grade 1 winner in the field and is perfectly drawn at No 4. The one concern is his fitness as this is his first run since his sojourn to the Cape.

Mathew de Kock said: “Soqrat is not 100% wound up, this is his prep run for the Horse Chestnut Stakes. He looks well in off his 124 rating but to my mind it’s never easy to give good older horses just one kilogram and a beating.

“Cascapedia won the Spring Challenge over 1400m, but this is too sharp for her.”