Yutaka Take was back doing what he does best, winning his record seventh spring Tenno-sho title aboard Kitasan Black on Sunday.

Take, who last won the race 10 years ago on Deep Impact, went wire-to-wire on the 4-year-old second-favorite to edge long-shot Curren Mirotic in a photo finish which had the crowd at Kyoto Racecourse on its feet.

Last season's Kikka-sho (Japanese St. Leger) winner Kitasan Black, trained by Hisashi Shimizu, clocked 3 minutes, 15.3 seconds over the 3,200 meters on firm going, where he upstaged top choice Gold Actor who faded to 12th in a full field of 18.