French raiders Sahpresa and Immortal Verse failed to make an impact as Eishin Apollon claimed the G1 Mile Championship at Kyoto on Sunday.
Sahpresa, fourth in the race last year, went one place better to finish third but Immortal Verse could manage only seventh.
Eishin Apollon, trained by Masahiro Matsunaga and ridden by Kenichi Ikezoe, edged out Fifth Petal by a neck after a thrilling battle over the final furlong.
Sahpresa was one and a half lengths behind while Immortal Verse could not finish off on the rain-softened ground.
Christophe Lemaire, rider of Sahpresa, said: "She ran very smoothly and responded well at the stretch. I think it would have made a difference if we had an inside draw."
Her trainer Rodolphe Collet said: "We were unlucky again with the draw for the third year running, but I am extremely proud with the mare at age six for maintaining her form to meet the high level of competition.
"We may be headed to Hong Kong for our next target, but I will have to discuss this with the owners."
Immortal Verse's jockey Christophe Soumillon felt the ground had not been in his mount's favour.
"I don't think she's run on such wet turf before - even in France - and the track condition today certainly didn't suit her.
“I'm sure she would have been able to display her great acceleration on a firmer track.”
The winner of the G1 Coronation Stakes and the G1 Jacques Le Marois will now enjoy a winter break.
Fifth favourite Eishin Apollon thrived on the wet turf to capture his first career G1 title.
It was also the first G1 victory for his trainer Masahiro Matsunaga while his rider Kenichi Ikezoe collected his fifth G1 title this season after his success with Triple Crown winner Orfevre and Sprinters Stakes champion Curren Chan.
The four-year-old was coming off a G3 win in the Fuji Stakes
