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Outsider Elusive Gold recorded a shock upset over a star-studded field in the G1 Grand Premier Cape Guineas at Kenilworth on December 21.

The colt went off at 28/1, despite having won two of his first four starts, and provided trainer Brett Crawford with his first victory in the Cape’s premier mile classic for three-year-olds.

However it wasn’t the result Crawford expected as stablemate Captain America finished second as the race favourite.

Captain America had beaten Red Ray in the recent Ready To Run Stakes and they headed the betting over last season’s GI-winning juvenile Forest Indigo and the Mike De Kock-trained Whistle Stop.

“It is phenomenal for the yard,” Crawford said. “I always thought Elusive Gold was a smart horse in his own right. To win the Guineas is a big thing for a trainer."

Elusive Gold came into the Cape Guineas with the lowest "merit rating" in the 15-horse field of 79, 25 pounds behind top-rated Forest Indigo and Red Ray.

His jockey Fayd’Herbe had won the Cape Guineas in 2010 and was ecstatic with his second victory in the R1 million race.

"He jumped and showed no gate speed which worried me but I really got into him and he responded well,” he said.

“He is still a big baby and they are going to win plenty of big races with him yet."

Elusive Gold’s owner David Hui lives in Hong Kong. The colt is set to race in Hong Kong after a possible bid to win the G1 Investec Cape Derby.