Rahiebb continued his climb up the ranks with a Group 2 success in the Boodles Yorkshire Cup Stakes on the Knavesmire.
Trained by Roger Varian for owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, the four-year-old son of Frankel ran several promising races in Group company last term, not least when a neck second to Scandinavia in the St Leger in September.
Having his first outing since the Doncaster Classic and dropping back slightly in distance, Rahiebb stayed on strongly down the centre of the course under jockey Ray Dawson to take it up from the strong-travelling Epic Poet just over a furlong out.
The winner drifted to his left in the closing stages but stuck to the task well to beat 11/1 chance Al Nayyir by two and a quarter lengths.
Epic Poet (11/1) had to settle for third, while the disappointment of the race was 8/13 favourite Amiloc who dictated the pace but dropped away tamely in the straight to finish sixth of the seven runners.
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Paddy Power and Sky Bet cut the winner to 8/1 from 12/1 for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot next month.
Dawson said on Racing TV: "We're thrilled, he's a hard horse to gauge as he's such a character at home. Some days he's as good as gold and he works really well and some days he's like a naughty schoolboy and not a very nice horse to ride at home.
"We came here knowing that he had strengthened but had he improved from his St Leger run, and could he improve going forward. The feel he's given me there was completely different to the Leger, he felt like a horse that stays well but also has gears. So he's very exciting.
"That's where he's heading (Gold Cup), he can go for all these Cup races and I think he'll just keep getting better. His mind in racing today was perfect and he's a bigger, stronger animal. I've very privileged to be riding him really."
Varian told ITV Racing: "It was a nice watch, we were not sure before the race that there would be much pace. I was keen to take a lead with him today, with it being the first run of the year and going this fast.
"I was happy actually when Rossa (Ryan, on Amiloc) went forward and James (Doyle, aboard Al Nayyir) followed him. Ray had a good position through the race, he raced kindly but relaxed. He was able to go up through the gears to the line, so I was delighted.
"We'd love to go to the Gold Cup. We can into this year hoping he'd be a Cup horse. He's kept his warm through the winter, he's a fantastic horse to look at, he's a magnificent specimen and he's just reaching maturity now. He should keep getting better."
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