The Japanese delegation came up empty-handed at the richest meet in the world as Hokko Tarumae and Epiphaneia finished fifth and ninth, respectively, in the Dubai World Cup on Saturday.
Hokko Tarumae set the pace in the $10 million World Cup but failed to hold on, fading down the stretch at Meydan Racecourse before Prince Bishop crossed the post first almost three lengths in front of prohibitive favorite California Chrome.
In his first race on dirt, Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia, the world's second-highest rated horse, could not adjust to the surface and ended up dead last in the field.
"I wasn't sure whether to take the lead or sit back, but ended up on the lead as it turns out," Hokko Tarumae's jockey Hideaki Miyuki said. "He felt good during the trip but he was scared of the car and the sound from the speakers at the track.
"If he were more comfortable with his surroundings, I think we could've closed the gap. It's a shame, because he was giving me hope going into the last turn."