Air Messiah charged from the rear of the pack with a devastating run Sunday to beat top favorite Rhein Kraft by a neck in the Shuka-sho, the final leg of the Triple Crown series for three-year-old fillies.
Second pick Air Messiah, jockeyed by Yutaka Take, covered the 2,000-meter race at Kyoto Racecourse in 1 minute, 59.2 seconds for her first Grade One title, edging out front-running Rhein Kraft at the wire to deny her a third straight G-1 victory.
Nishino Nurse Call came third, three lengths further back. Rhein Kraft, who had won the Oka-sho and the NHK Mile Cup earlier this year, pulled away from the pack with 1 1/2 furlongs to go but was unable to hold off a fierce last-gasp charge from Air Messiah.
Air Messiah paid out 250 yen to win on a 100 yen wager.