Gold Actor took center stage in the season-ending Arima Kinen to capture his first Grade 1 victory on Sunday.
The 4-year-old colt went off as the eighth choice in a full field of 16 before a crowd of 121,319 at Nakayama Racecourse in Chiba Prefecture, and held off Sounds of Earth by a neck to earn a first-place check of ¥250 million.
Three-year-old Kitasan Black took third, another three-quarters of a length behind. Favorite and retiring six-time G1 champion Gold Ship ended his stellar career in eighth place.