The Newsells Park Stud home-bred Rahiebb announced himself as a leading contender for next month’s Gold Cup at Royal Ascot with a commanding victory in the Gr.2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup at York today.

Runner-up in last season’s Gr.1 St Leger, the four-year-old son of Frankel produced a dominant display under jockey Ray Dawson, travelling strongly throughout before sweeping past the field inside the final quarter mile to score by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Al Nayyir, with Epic Poet back in third.

Trained by Roger Varian for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, Rahiebb settled throughout the 1m6f race before quickening decisively clear. The performance secured his first black-type success and cemented plans for a return to the highest level this summer.

Varian said afterwards: “We’d love to go to the Gold Cup. We came into this season hoping he would develop into a Cup horse and his run in the St Leger at the end of last season was very good.

“He has kept us warm through the winter. He is a magnificent horse to look at, a fantastic specimen, and he is only just reaching maturity now. Hopefully he will keep getting better.”

Winning rider Dawson, celebrating an important success in his first season as Varian’s retained jockey, was equally enthusiastic about the progressive stayer.

“He was very impressive,” Dawson said. “This horse can be a real handful, but he’s learning to take his races much better now. He’s a bigger, stronger horse and he’s got a bit more speed than we perhaps realised. Turning in, I knew I was going well — I just didn’t want to get there too soon.

“He’s a beautiful animal and has been very well trained by Roger and Tony Procter, who rides him every day at home. I’m just the lucky man on board today.”

Bred and sold by Newsells Park Stud, Rahiebb is out of the Stakes performer Playful Sound, a daughter of Street Cry and half-sister to Group performers Ispolini and Vivionn. His dam is currently back in foal to Frankel, further strengthening one of the stud’s most exciting families.