KEY POINTS:
Admire Moon ended his racing career in the best possible way when he held off Melbourne Cup placegetter Pop Rock to win the Japan Cup before a massive crowd.
Purchased by Dubai's Sheik Mohammed this year for a reported A$37.27 million ($43.6m), Admire Moon will stand at the Sheik's Darley Japan Farm next season.
Ridden by Yasunari Iwata, Admire Moon staved off the challenge from Pop Rock by a head on Sunday with favourite Meisho Samson a neck away at the end of the 2400m race.
Japanese Derby winner Vodka made ground from the back of the field for fourth with Pop Rock's stablemate Delta Blues fifth.
Delta Blues was ridden by Iwata to win last year's Melbourne Cup from Pop Rock but the two were forced to stay at home this year when they were unable to serve the required quarantine due to an equine influenza outbreak in Japan.
Iwata said: "It was a close win. It was so close that I was not sure of the victory until I watched the video.
"It was the first time for me to win a grade one race at Tokyo, so I'm really happy to do that in front of all these people.
"Admire Moon is an amazing horse - it's indescribable how good he is."
Admire Moon also won the Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai in March this year and the prestigious Takarazuka Kinen in his homeland in June.
Pop Rock was ridden by Oliver Peslier, while champion local jockey Yutaka Take, who won Saturday's Japan Cup Dirt on Vermilion, was aboard Meisho Samson.
Admire Moon won the 2400m race in 2m 24.7s to take the first prize of U$S2 million ($2.69m).
Admire Moon's path to victory had been made easier after European horse of the year Dylan Thomas was barred from racing following a failed quarantine test.
- AAP
