Yeats and Mick Kinane romped home in the Goodwood Cup

The five-year-old (10-11f), trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Mick Kinane, romped home to win the two-mile race by five lengths.

Frankie Dettori and Geordieland (16-1) were second with Tungsten Strike (25-1) more than three lengths back in third.

Sergeant Cecil, ridden by Martin Dwyer, finished strongly for fourth.

Interview: Yeats' trainer Aidan O'Brien

Foreign Affairs set a lively early pace with a clear gap back to Winged d'Argent and Tungsten Strike leading the pack out in the country.

Yeats will go to the Irish St Leger next Aidan O'Brien

The field bunched as the track headed back uphill towards the stands, with Seb Sanders and Foreign Affairs still leading into the straight.

But once Kinane made his move two furlongs out the contest was over.

O'Brien told BBC Sport: "It's exciting to be planning a campaign for a horse like this and credit must go to the owners for keeping him in training.

"He'll go to the Irish St Leger next and we'll see after that."

The ultimate plan is to go for the Melbourne Cup - that is what he was bought for Geordieland's trainer Jamie Spencer

The success earned Yeats a 10-1 quote from William Hill for the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November.

Kinane said: "He's definitely a very classy individual - probably the best stayer I have ridden.

"Ground would be everything (if he were to go for the Melbourne Cup). Firm is firm in Melbourne and that would be a shade worrying.

"Weight wouldn't be a worry. He's a big strapping horse, he carried plenty of weight today and broke the track record so it's not an inconvenience to him."

Geordieland's trainer Jamie Osborne was thrilled with his horse, which only joined his stable less than eight weeks ago.

"He hasn't run beyond a mile and a half in France. It was a big risk coming here first time out but he's finished second to probably one of the great staying performances," he said.

"If you take Yeats out of the field we have won by several lengths, so we haven't put up a bad staying performance either.

"The Ebor is very valuable and he's in there off 108. We have to seriously consider it now.

"The ultimate plan is to go for the Melbourne Cup. That is what he was bought for."

1 Yeats (M J Kinane) 10-11 Fav
2 Geordieland (L Dettori) 16-1
3 Tungsten Strike (Martin Dwyer) 25-1
15 ran