Benbatl led home a Godolphin one-two in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes.
Saeed bin Suroor's charge is being lined up for a crack at Winx in the Cox Plate and this success, under Pat Cosgrave, will raise expectations they can give the mare a race.
Charlie Appleby's Blair House chased him home while Aidan O'Brien's Cliffs Of Moher flew home to finish just out of the places.
Bin Suroor told Channel 7: "He ran a huge race. I knew the ground would suit him because of his action and the way he finished his race gives us confidence for the Cox Plate. Charlie's horse ran a huge race, too, and Sheikh Mohammed is a big supporter of Australian racing.
"The filly (Winx) is the best of the best but it has been our plan since January to run in the Cox Plate so we'll see how we go."
GET THE FULL PICTURE: Don't miss out on FREE video replays and our fantastic My Stable tracker. Log in now and become a Sporting Life Insider.
Related horse racing links
