Bernardini romped to an easy success in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont as Dylan Thomas trailed home a disappointing last of the four runners.

Aidan O'Brien was keen to see how his Irish Derby and Champion Stakes hero fared on the dirt surface ahead of a planned crack at the Breeders' Cup Classic.

However, the colt was slowly away under John Velazquez in the mile-and-a-quarter event and the jockey was already at work only a furlong into the race.

Velazquez eased down when it became apparent that Dylan Thomas had lost any chance of taking a hand in the contest, eventually coming home a distance behind the facile winner.