Japan’s Melbourne Cup winning jockey Yasunari Iwata got the better of Australian star Hugh Bowman in a photo finish to the $US2.6 million Tenno Sho Spring in Kyoto on Sunday.

It was Bowman’s first meeting of his latest month long stay in Japan with the champion jockey teaming with Cheval Grand, the stayer he rode to victory in the $US5 million Japan Cup last November.

Cheval Grand was an odds on favourite for the 3200m feature while Iwata, the rider of 2006 Melbourne Cup winner Delta Blues, was aboard the second favourite Rainbow Line.

Bowman rode a perfect race on Cheval Grand to hit the front at the right time in the last 200m before Rainbow Line drove hard in the last 100m to win by a neck and give Iwata his first win in a Japanese Group One race since 2015.

It was the first G1 win for Rainbow Line after a series of placings in some of Japan’s top races including the NHK Mile, Kikuka Sho (St Leger) and Tenno Sho Autumn.

Trainer Hidekazu Asami had previously won the Tenno Sho Spring with Mejiro Bright in 1998 while Iwata won the race in for the first time in 2008 with Admire Jupiter.

Unfortunately Rainbow Line went amiss with a serious leg injury after the winning post and was taken from the track in a horse van.

“I waited patiently and I knew he had the needed late kick to reach the front before the wire,” Iwata said.

“It’s great that he was able to win but I’m concerned about his condition. I hope he gets the best care so that he can recover.”

The third placegetter Clincher is booked to travel to France to race in the Prix Foy and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe later in the year.