Bernardini is now the 11-8 favourite for the Breeders' Cup Classic following his impressive success in the Grade One Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont.

Stan James cut his price from 2-1 after the Preakness Stakes winner extended his unbeaten run to six as he accounted for Wanderlin Boy by six and three-quarter lengths, while Aidan O'Brien's Dylan Thomas finished a tailed-off last.

Bernardini, who is owned by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stable, hacked up in the 10-furlong event to supplement similarly facile successes in the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes.

However, John Ferguson, racing manager and bloodstock advisor for Darley, sounded a note of caution in the wake of the horse's latest victory.

"Any time when the best horses in the United States and the world turn up you have to be at your best, be the best," he said. "And every time they turn up you have to prove you're the best.

"The Breeders' Cup Classic is the ultimate test so we do not count our chickens until they are hatched; but so far so good."

Ferguson said Sheikh Mohammed had watched the action from Belmont Park on a television feed patched through to Dubai and the racing manager added: "It's fantastic for us all, for the farm here in America where we bred the horse and for Sheikh Mohammed. It's such a wonderful day.

"It was simply awesome. Obviously he's done it against three-year-olds but just to see him go past Wanderin Boy like that was great, it's an honour to be involved but just as a racing fan it's so wonderful to watch such a special horse."

Ferguson added: "Fingers crossed, I would hope we would all be in Churchill Downs. The thing is, he didn't get a particularly hard race here.

"Javier Castellano gave him a lovely ride and they didn't go very fast early on.

"He was able to just pick it up and in the end it looked like they all rather enjoyed themselves, which is nice to see in a Grade One."

Trainer Tom Albertrani was much less cautious in his outlook and he expects the AP Indy colt to keep improving.

He said: "He does things so easily, I don't know if anyone can give him the kind of race where he has to fight.

"I think that with every race this horse has matured mentally and physically. With every race, starting with the Preakness, he has developed and gets better and better.

"If Bernardini just shows up with his game from the last three or four races, someone is going to have to be on his A game to beat him."

Bernardini was facing older rivals for the first time on Saturday night and Albertrani believes a couple of established performers offer the biggest threat at Churchill Downs on November 4.

"I think it will come down to Lava Man, Invasor and us for Horse of the Year," he added.