The jockey who has been aboard Lankan Rupee in all his important trackwork this campaign is convinced the star sprinter has raised his game again since his Lightning Stakes triumph.
Lankan Rupee will attempt to become the first horse since Razor Sharp more than 30 years ago to win back-to-back Newmarket Handicaps on Saturday at Flemington.
He will also have to equal a modern day weight carrying record in the time honoured 1200m sprint with 58.5kg, set by Hay List when he won in 2012.
But after riding the gelding on Saturday and again on Tuesday morning on the course proper at Caulfield, Dale Smith was bullish.
"He's taken it to another level," Smith said.
Smith is not Lankan Rupee's race jockey, with that task going to Singapore-based Craig Newitt who has been aboard Lankan Rupee in four of his five Group One triumphs.
Newitt rode the reigning Australian Horse of the Year to a brilliant 2-3/4 length win first-up in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington and will be back in town again to ride him in Saturday's Newmarket.
Lankan Rupee's rivals in Saturday's highly anticipated race will include Terravista, who is equal with him as the highest-rated sprinter in the world, and Chautauqua.
Lankan Rupee continued his preparations for the Newmarket with a solo course proper gallop on Tuesday morning over 1000m.
He was clocked at 47.85sec for 800m, with his final 400m in 22.12sec.
"Everything has just gone along as normal. I thought the work was good," trainer Mick Price said.
"He had a good solid blow. He had a solid bit of work.
"He's fit and well and if you listen to Dale he'll be very hard to beat. I think he'll be hard to beat, albeit it he has to carry 58-1/2 kilos. It's going to be a great race."