Kyoto Pref. — Six-year-old Meiner Kitz pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the racing year so far, when landing the spoils in the 139th Tennosho (Emperor's Cup) at Kyoto Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.
At odds of just over 45-1, the horse stunned the 80,000-plus crowd who were still left looking for the more fancied runners, long after the winner had passed the winning post.
Meiner Kitz held off Al Nasrain by a neck in the closing stages, with Dream Journey staying on best of the others to take third, 1 3/4 lengths further back. Sunrise Max and Jaguar Mail also battled on well to take fourth and fifth respectively.