Real went ahead in the sixth minute through Cristiano Ronaldo's header before Racing were reduced to 10 men when Domingo Cisma was shown a second yellow card six minutes before the break.

The hosts headed to the interval 2-0 up thanks to a Karim Benzema strike, Angel di Maria marked his return from injury with a superb strike in the 73rd minute before Benzema added his second two minutes from the end.

The win gives Jose Mourinho's men a 13-point cushion at the top of La Liga with second-placed Barcelona not in action until Sunday, when they face a tricky test against third-placed Valencia.

Elsewhere on Saturday, fourth-placed Espanyol were held to a 1-1 draw at Getafe.

The hosts needed a 70th-minute penalty from Nicolas Fedor to secure a point, after Alvaro had put Espanyol ahead four minutes earlier.

And Sevilla defeated Osasuna 2-0, with goals from Gary Medel and Piotr Trochowski doing the damage for the home side.